smarten
to make more trim or spruce; improve in appearance (usually followed by up): Try to smarten up your outfit.
to make brisker, as a pace.
to sharpen the judgment or broaden the experience of; educate (usually followed by up): Someone has to smarten him up about dealing with people.
smarten up,
to groom oneself: to smarten up before dinner.
to become aware of one's mistakes, shortcomings, etc., and make efforts to correct them: If you don't smarten up, you're going to be out of a job.
Origin of smarten
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use smarten in a sentence
At the same time we had a good opportunity of smartening up the ship, which she needed badly.
The South Pole, Volumes 1 and 2 | Roald AmundsenShe had been busy in her bedroom all day, smartening-up a dress.
Johnny Ludlow, Sixth Series | Mrs. Henry WoodHe made some elephantine attempts at smartening his appearance.
The Trimmed Lamp | O. HenryHe talked to Hamish in a perfunctory manner about the smartening up of the Umpire.
Macleod of Dare | William BlackThe melancholy outside, tumble-down looking houses were smartening up.
Old Kensington | Miss Thackeray
British Dictionary definitions for smarten
/ (ˈsmɑːtən) /
(intr) to make oneself neater
(tr) to make quicker or livelier
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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