Smarten: meaning, definitions and examples
🧠
smarten
[ ˈsmɑːrtn ]
to improve appearance
To smarten means to make someone or something neater or more attractive. This often involves enhancing one's appearance through cleaning, dressing well, or organizing environments to look more appealing.
Synonyms
clean up, enhance, improve, tidy up.
Examples of usage
- She decided to smarten her outfit for the interview.
- They spent the afternoon smartening up the garden.
- It's important to smarten your workspace before a client visit.
to make clever
To smarten can also mean to make something more intelligent or astute. This usage often relates to improving the mental attributes or capabilities of a person through education or experience.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- Reading regularly can help to smarten your mind.
- Her courses are designed to smarten young learners.
- Let's smarten up our strategy for the project presentation.
Translations
Translations of the word "smarten" in other languages:
🇵🇹 inteligente
🇮🇳 समझदारी बढ़ाना
🇩🇪 schlauer machen
🇮🇩 menyempurnakan
🇺🇦 розумнішати
🇵🇱 ulepszać
🇯🇵 賢くする
🇫🇷 rendre plus intelligent
🇪🇸 hacer más inteligente
🇹🇷 akıllı hale getirmek
🇰🇷 스마트하게 만들다
🇸🇦 جعل أكثر ذكاءً
🇨🇿 udělat chytřejším
🇸🇰 spraviť múdrejším
🇨🇳 使变聪明
🇸🇮 pametneje narediti
🇮🇸 gera snjallari
🇰🇿 ақылды ету
🇬🇪 ჭკვიანი გახადება
🇦🇿 ağıllı etmək
🇲🇽 hacer más inteligente
Etymology
The word 'smarten' is derived from the combination of the prefix 'smart', which originally meant 'to cause pain' in its Old English roots (from 'smeortan' and 'smeor'), and the suffix '-en', a verb-forming element. Over the centuries, the meaning of 'smart' evolved to include connotations of high intellect or attractiveness, reflecting a sophisticated or sharp quality. The verb 'smarten' began to appear in the English language in the late 19th century, around the 1850s, often in the context of dressing well or improving one's appearance. Its usage expanded to include enhancing one's intellect or acumen. Therefore, 'smarten' can refer to both physical presentation and mental enhancement, capturing the dual aspects of looking good and being knowledgeable. This versatility in meaning makes 'smarten' a useful term in various contexts, especially in contemporary discussions focused on self-improvement and personal development.
Word Frequency Rank
At position #40,064, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.