Difference Wiki

Smart vs. Wise

The main difference between smart and wise is that the adjective smart refers to intelligence, whereas the adjective wise refers to good judgment.

Key Differences

The adjective smart refers to intelligence; on the other hand, the adjective wise refers to good judgment.
Smart covers the attributes like quick-witted intelligence inversely the word wise covers the attributes like knowledge, experience, good judgment, sensibility, wisdom, and the like.
Smart has more use in spoken language, on the flip side, wise is preferred in written language but also seen in spoken language.
The word smart refers to the people of all ages contrarily the word wise is more commonly associated with mature and experienced people.
Samantha Walker
Dec 10, 2019
Smart people tend towards logic; on the contrary wise people tend towards the emotional and spiritual sides of logic as well.
Samantha Walker
Dec 10, 2019
Smart is an adjective that highlights that someone is intelligent, whereas wise is an adjective that emphasizes someone with great experience, knowledge, and good judgment.
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A smart person does not essentially have experience and knowledge; conversely, a wise person always has experience and knowledge.
Samantha Walker
Dec 10, 2019
Being smart does not require experience; theoretical knowledge is sufficient for it on the converse being wise requires a lot of experience.
Aimie Carlson
Dec 10, 2019
The word smart is an informal word, while the word wise is mostly used in formal contexts.
Samantha Walker
Dec 10, 2019
Smart people are good for their advantage by solving their problems while wise people use their wisdom to inspire and help others.
Harlon Moss
Dec 10, 2019

Comparison Chart

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A positive adjective that refers to intelligence
A positive adjective that refers to good judgment

Associated With

People of all ages
Maturity/mature people
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Context

Informal

Experience and Knowledge

It does not require
It requires
Samantha Walker
Dec 10, 2019

Spoken and Written Language

Mostly used in spoken language
Used in both spoken and written language
Harlon Moss
Dec 10, 2019

Smart and Wise Definitions

Smart

Having or showing intelligence; bright.

Wise

Having the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; sagacious
A wise leader.

Smart

Canny and shrewd in dealings with others
A smart negotiator.
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Wise

Exhibiting common sense; prudent
A wise decision.

Smart

Amusingly clever; witty
A smart quip.
A lively, smart conversation.

Wise

Shrewd; crafty
Made a wise move selling the house when he did.

Smart

Impertinent; insolent
That's enough of your smart talk.

Wise

Provided with information; informed. Often used with to
I'm wise to your tricks. We were none the wiser after reading the report.

Smart

Energetic or quick in movement
A smart pace.

Wise

(Slang) Rude and disrespectful; impudent.

Smart

Fashionable; elegant
A smart suit.
A smart restaurant.
The smart set.

Wise

Method or manner of doing; way
In no wise.
In any wise.

Smart

Capable of making adjustments that resemble those resulting from human decisions, chiefly by means of electronic sensors and computer technology
Smart missiles.
Smart machines.

Wise

Showing good judgement or the benefit of experience.
Storing extra food for the winter was a wise decision.
They were considered the wise old men of the administration.
"It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish" - Aeschylus

Smart

To cause a sharp, usually superficial, stinging pain
The slap delivered to my face smarted.

Wise

Disrespectful.
Don't get wise with me!

Smart

To be the location of such a pain
The incision on my leg smarts.

Wise

(colloquial) Aware, informed.
Be careful: the boss is wise to your plan to call out sick.

Smart

To feel such a pain.

Wise

To become wise.

Smart

To suffer acutely, as from mental distress, wounded feelings, or remorse
"No creature smarts so little as a fool" (Alexander Pope).

Wise

Usually with "up", to inform or learn.
Mo wised him up about his situation.
After Mo had a word with him, he wised up.

Smart

Sharp pain or anguish
The smart of the wound.

Wise

(dialectal) To instruct.

Smart

Smarts(Slang) Intelligence; expertise
A reporter with a lot of smarts.

Wise

(dialectal) To advise; induce.

Smart

(intransitive) To hurt or sting.
After being hit with a pitch, the batter exclaimed "Ouch, my arm smarts!"

Wise

(dialectal) To show the way, guide.

Smart

(transitive) To cause a smart or sting in.

Wise

(dialectal) To direct the course of, pilot.

Smart

(intransitive) To feel a pungent pain of mind; to feel sharp pain or grief; be punished severely; to feel the sting of evil.

Wise

(dialectal) To cause to turn.

Smart

Exhibiting social ability or cleverness.

Wise

(archaic) Way, manner, or method.

Smart

(informal) Exhibiting intellectual knowledge, such as that found in books.

Wise

Having knowledge; knowing; enlightened; of extensive information; erudite; learned.
They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Smart

Equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology).
Smart car

Wise

Hence, especially, making due use of knowledge; discerning and judging soundly concerning what is true or false, proper or improper; choosing the best ends and the best means for accomplishing them; sagacious.
When clouds appear, wise men put their cloaks.
From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.

Smart

Good-looking; well dressed; fine; fashionable.
A smart outfit
You look smart in that business suit.

Wise

Versed in art or science; skillful; dexterous; specifically, skilled in divination.
Fal. There was, mine host, an old fat woman even now with me; but she's gone.Sim. Pray you, sir, was't not the wise woman of Brentford?

Smart

Cleverly shrewd and humorous in a way that may be rude and disrespectful.
He became tired of his daughter's sarcasm and smart remarks.
Don't get smart with me!

Wise

Hence, prudent; calculating; shrewd; wary; subtle; crafty.
Nor, on the other side,Will I be penuriously wiseAs to make money, that's my slave, my idol.
Lords do not care for me:I am too wise to die yet.

Smart

Sudden and intense.

Wise

Dictated or guided by wisdom; containing or exhibiting wisdom; well adapted to produce good effects; judicious; discreet; as, a wise saying; a wise scheme or plan; wise conduct or management; a wise determination.
A very grave, state bachelor, my dainty one;He's wise in years, and of a temperate warmth.
You are too wise in years, too full of counsel,For my green experience.

Smart

Causing sharp pain; stinging.

Wise

Way of being or acting; manner; mode; fashion.
To love her in my beste wyse.
This song she sings in most commanding wise.
Let not these blessings then, sent from above,Abused be, or spilt in profane wise.

Smart

Sharp; keen; poignant.
A smart pain

Wise

A way of doing or being;
In no wise
In this wise

Smart

Intense in feeling; painful. Used usually with the adverb intensifier right.
He raised his voice, and it hurt her feelings right smart.
That cast on his leg chaffs him right smart.

Wise

United States Jewish leader (born in Hungary) (1874-1949)

Smart

(archaic) Efficient; vigorous; brilliant.

Wise

United States religious leader (born in Bohemia) who united reform Jewish organizations in the United States (1819-1900)

Smart

(archaic) Pretentious; showy; spruce.
A smart gown

Wise

Having or prompted by wisdom or discernment;
A wise leader
A wise and perceptive comment

Smart

(archaic) Brisk; fresh.
A smart breeze

Wise

Marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters;
Judicious use of one's money
A sensible manager
A wise decision

Smart

A sharp, quick, lively pain; a sting.

Wise

Evidencing the possession of inside information

Smart

Mental pain or suffering; grief; affliction.

Wise

Able to take a broad view of negotiations between states

Smart

Smart-money.

Wise

Carefully considered;
A considered opinion

Smart

A dandy; one who is smart in dress; one who is brisk, vivacious, or clever.

Smart

To feel a lively, pungent local pain; - said of some part of the body as the seat of irritation; as, my finger smarts; these wounds smart.

Smart

To feel a pungent pain of mind; to feel sharp pain or grief; to suffer; to feel the sting of evil; as, the team is still smarting from its loss of the championship.
No creature smarts so little as a fool.
He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it.

Smart

To cause a smart in.

Smart

Quick, pungent, lively pain; a pricking local pain, as the pain from puncture by nettles.

Smart

Severe, pungent pain of mind; pungent grief; as, the smart of affliction.
To stand 'twixt us and our deserved smart.
Counsel mitigates the greatest smart.

Smart

A fellow who affects smartness, briskness, and vivacity; a dandy.

Smart

Smart money (see below).

Smart

Causing a smart; pungent; pricking; as, a smart stroke or taste.
How smart lash that speech doth give my conscience.

Smart

Keen; severe; poignant; as, smart pain.

Smart

Vigorous; sharp; severe.

Smart

Accomplishing, or able to accomplish, results quickly; active; sharp; clever.

Smart

Efficient; vigorous; brilliant.

Smart

Marked by acuteness or shrewdness; quick in suggestion or reply; vivacious; witty; as, a smart reply; a smart saying.
Who, for the poor renown of being smartWould leave a sting within a brother's heart?
A sentence or two, . . . which I thought very smart.

Smart

Pretentious; showy; spruce; as, a smart gown.

Smart

Brisk; fresh; as, a smart breeze.

Smart

A kind of pain such as that caused by a wound or a burn or a sore

Smart

Be the source of pain

Smart

Showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

Smart

Elegant and stylish;
Chic elegance
A smart new dress
A suit of voguish cut

Smart

Characterized by quickness and ease in learning;
Some children are brighter in one subject than another
Smart children talk earlier than the average

Smart

Improperly forward or bold;
Don't be fresh with me
Impertinent of a child to lecture a grownup
An impudent boy given to insulting strangers

Smart

Marked by smartness in dress and manners;
A dapper young man
A jaunty red hat

Smart vs. Wise

The words smart and wise fall into the category of the adjective in parts of speech. These are positive adjectives. Both these adjectives are similar in their meaning but are different in their usage. The adjective smart refers to intelligence, whereas the adjective wise refers to good judgment. Smart is an adjective that highlights that someone is intelligent. Wise is an adjective that emphasizes someone with great experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

The word smart is informal and refers to people of all ages. The word wise is more commonly associated with mature and experienced people. Smart covers attribute like quick-witted intelligence. Wise covers attributes like knowledge, experience, good judgment, sensibility, wisdom, and the like. The word smart has less admiration as compared to the word-wise. Smart is also used as a compliment for someone who is not intelligent enough but did something intelligent in a specific situation. However, wise cannot be a temporary compliment; rather, it is used to appreciate the overall intelligence of a person.

A smart person does not essentially have experience and knowledge. A wise person always has experience and knowledge. The word smart is an informal word and is commonly used among youngsters. The word wise is mostly used in formal contexts. As the word smart has informal use, it has more use in spoken language. The word wise being formal is preferred in written language but also seen in spoken language. Smart people tend toward logic. Wise people tend towards the emotional and spiritual sides of logic, as well.

Being smart does not require experience; theoretical knowledge is sufficient for it. Being wise requires a lot of experience. Smart people are good at their advantage by solving their problems. Wise people use their wisdom to inspire and help others. Smart people are quick in acquiring and applying knowledge. They also like to express and impose their point of view. Wise people acquire knowledge with full understanding by taking time, and also they listen to others to increase their knowledge. They are less likely to speak and impose their point of view. Smart people believe in their abilities and are confident about them. Wise people know their abilities but stay humble to learn more.

What is Smart?

The word smart is a positive adjective. It refers to intelligence. The word smart is informal and refers to people of all ages. Smart covers attribute like quick-witted intelligence. Being smart is to have a high level of intelligence. Smart people tend to score high in their lives. Smart is also used as a compliment for someone who is not intelligent enough but did something intelligent in a specific situation.

A smart person does not essentially have experience and knowledge. This word is used in an informal context. It is commonly associated with youngsters. As the word smart has informal use, it has more use in spoken language. Being smart does not require experience; theoretical knowledge is sufficient for it. The adjective smart can also direct the physical appearance of a person. A neat and well-dressed person is described as smart. The comparative and superlative degrees of the adjective smart are smarter and smartest.

There are certain specific characteristics of smart people. Smart people are good at their advantage by solving their problems. They tend towards logic and are quick in acquiring and applying knowledge. They also like to express and impose their point of view. Smart people believe in their abilities and are confident about them. Wise people know their abilities but stay humble to learn more.

Examples

  • My new student is very smart.
  • Oh wow, you are looking smart!
  • I must say that you are very smart.
  • John is smarter than his elder brother Harry.
  • He is the smartest boy in his class.

What is Wise?

The word wise is an adjective wise that refers to good judgment. Wise is an adjective that emphasizes someone with great experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The word wise is more commonly associated with mature and experienced people. These adjective wise covers attribute such as knowledge, experience, good judgment, sensibility, wisdom, and the like.

Wise cannot be a temporary compliment; rather, it is used to appreciate the overall intelligence of a person. A wise person always has experience and knowledge. The word is mostly used in formal contexts. The word wise being formal is preferred in written language but also seen in spoken language. The comparative and superlative degrees of the adjective wise are wiser and wisest.

There are certain characteristics of wise people. They tend towards the emotional and spiritual sides of logic. Wise people use their wisdom to inspire and help others. They acquire knowledge with full understanding by taking time, and also they listen to others to increase their knowledge. They are less likely to speak and impose their point of view.

Moreover, a wise person has a broad area of knowledge. It is not only confined to books. It is the reason that wise people act upon the knowledge it has. He is also fully aware of his flaws that benefits him in finding new areas of information. Wise people know their abilities but stay humble to learn more.

Examples

  • The wise man advice the kids
  • It would be wise to tackle this situation with mutual discussion.
  • He is wise in the ways of politics.
  • The wife was wiser than his husband.
  • The wise precautions she took saved her life.
  • Our teacher’s wise words helped us to resolve the issue easily.

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