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to smart off
01
to speak rudely or disrespectfully, often with sarcasm
Slang
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Separable
Particle
off
Base verb
smart
Present tense
smart off
3rd person singular
smarts off
Present participle
smarting off
Past simple
smarted off
Past participle
smarted off
What does "to smart off" mean in slang?
The phrase "to smart off" means to respond in a rude, sarcastic, or disrespectful way, especially when someone is being corrected or given instructions. The structure uses "smart" in an old slang sense meaning "impudent" or "cheeky," and "off" to indicate speaking out of turn. It is commonly used in informal speech to describe insolent or disrespectful replies, often toward authority figures.
Examples
Do n't smart off to your parents like that.
