smarten
Definition
- Verb:
- To make or become neat, tidy, or more attractive: "smarten" refers to improving the appearance of someone or something, often by making it more stylish or orderly.
- To make or become quicker or more efficient: "smarten" can also mean to increase speed or effectiveness, especially in a system or process.
Usage Examples
To improve appearance:
- She decided to smarten up her outfit before the party. (She made her clothes neater and more attractive.)
- The garden needs to be smartened before the visitors arrive. (The garden requires tidying and improving.)
To improve efficiency:
- The company aims to smarten its production line to reduce waste. (The company wants to make its process more efficient.)
- He smartened his study habits to get better grades. (He made his study methods more effective.)
Advanced Usage
- "to smarten up": a common phrasal verb meaning to improve appearance or performance.
- You should smarten up your resume before applying for jobs. (Make it neater and more professional.)
- The software update will smarten up the system's response time. (Make it faster or more efficient.)
Variants and Related Words
- Smart (adj): neat, tidy, stylish, or intelligent.
- She wore a smart suit to the interview. (A neat and stylish suit.)
- Smartly (adv): in a neat, tidy, or efficient manner.
- He dressed smartly for the ceremony. (He dressed in a neat and stylish way.)
Synonyms
- Tidy up: to make something neat.
- Spruce up: to improve the appearance of something, often with small changes.
- Streamline: to make a process more efficient.
Phrasal Verbs
- Smarten up: to improve one's appearance or performance.
- You need to smarten up if you want to get that promotion. (Improve your behaviour or work habits.)
- The old house was smartened up with a fresh coat of paint. (Made neater and more attractive.)
Related Idioms
- To smarten one's act: to improve one's behaviour or performance.
- After failing the exam, he smartened his act and studied harder. (He improved his approach.)