Handsome vs. Smart — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 13, 2023
Handsome refers to physical attractiveness, while Smart pertains to intelligence or cleverness.
Difference Between Handsome and Smart
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Handsome is a term often associated with an individual's physical appearance. It signifies that someone has pleasing and impressive features. On the other hand, Smart implies having a sharp intellect or being clever. These two terms, while distinctive, can occasionally overlap when describing an individual.
In the context of aesthetics, Handsome is used to depict individuals, predominantly men, who possess symmetrical and visually appealing features. Smart, though generally connected to mental prowess, can also refer to someone’s tidy and stylish appearance, especially in outfits, suggesting they have a "smart" sense of fashion.
Handsome is primarily a visual judgement. It is often the first impression one might get upon meeting someone. Conversely, Smart usually refers to an individual’s mental abilities, such as the capacity to think critically, solve problems, or possess extensive knowledge.
Despite their distinct definitions, the terms Handsome and Smart are not mutually exclusive. A person can be both handsome in appearance and smart in intellect. Similarly, someone being referred to as "smart-looking" might hint at a sophisticated or professional appearance, while a "handsome brain" could be a poetic way of praising someone's intelligence.
Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
Physical attractiveness
Intelligence or cleverness
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Secondary Usage
Rarely used for objects
Can refer to tidy appearance
Gender Bias
Often linked with men
Neutral, refers to both genders
Relation to Objects
Sometimes used for describing elegant objects
Used for products showcasing clever design
Nature
Subjective; based on personal preference
Can be objective; e.g., IQ tests for intellect
Compare with Definitions
Handsome
Handsome (Pleasing appearance)
He is a handsome young man.
Smart
Smart (Intelligent)
She's smart enough to solve the puzzle quickly.
Handsome
Handsome (Graceful, elegant)
It's a handsome piece of furniture.
Smart
Smart (Sharp pain or sensation)
The cut gave him a smart sting.
Handsome
Handsome (Generous)
She made a handsome donation to the charity.
Smart
(of a person) clean, tidy, and well dressed
You look very smart
Handsome
Handsome (Large, significant)
The book was a handsome volume with gilt edges.
Smart
Having or showing a quick-witted intelligence
If he was that smart he would never have been tricked
Handsome
Pleasing in form or appearance, especially having strong or distinguished features
A handsome man.
A woman with a handsome face.
Smart
Quick; brisk
He set off at a smart pace
Handsome
Having stately or attractive proportions or appearance; impressive
A handsome manor.
A sleek, handsome car.
Smart
(of part of the body) feel a sharp stinging pain
Her legs were scratched and smarting
Handsome
Large in amount or measure; generous or considerable
A handsome reward.
Won by a handsome margin.
Smart
Sharp stinging pain
The smart of the recent cuts
Handsome
Marked by or requiring skill or dexterity
Did some handsome maneuvers on the skating rink.
Smart
Intelligence; acumen
I don't think I have the smarts for it
Handsome
Appropriate or fitting
A handsome location for the new school.
Smart
Having or showing intelligence; bright.
Handsome
Having a pleasing appearance, good-looking, attractive, particularly
That is one handsome tree you've got there.
Smart
Canny and shrewd in dealings with others
A smart negotiator.
Handsome
Attractively manly, having a pleasing face and overall effect.
I was tripping over his own feet coming in out of the surf.
Smart
Amusingly clever; witty
A smart quip.
A lively, smart conversation.
Handsome
Statuesque, beautiful in a masculine or otherwise imposing way.
She was either handsome or her uniform created a flattering effect but—being very nearsighted—he couldn't tell from this distance.
Smart
Impertinent; insolent
That's enough of your smart talk.
Handsome
Good, appealing, appropriate.
Smart
Energetic or quick in movement
A smart pace.
Handsome
(of weather) Fine, clear and bright.
Smart
Fashionable; elegant
A smart suit.
A smart restaurant.
The smart set.
Handsome
Suitable or fit in action; marked with propriety and ease; appropriate.
A handsome style
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.
Handsome
Generous or noble in character.
Handsome is as handsome does.
Smart
To cause a sharp, usually superficial, stinging pain
The slap delivered to my face smarted.
Handsome
Ample; moderately large.
A handsome salary
Smart
To be the location of such a pain
The incision on my leg smarts.
Handsome
Dexterous; skillful.
Smart
To feel such a pain.
Handsome
To render handsome.
Smart
To suffer acutely, as from mental distress, wounded feelings, or remorse
"No creature smarts so little as a fool" (Alexander Pope).
Handsome
Dexterous; skillful; handy; ready; convenient; - applied to things as persons.
That they [engines of war] be both easy to be carried and handsome to be moved and turned about.
For a thief it is so handsome as it may seem it was first invented for him.
Smart
Sharp pain or anguish
The smart of the wound.
Handsome
Agreeable to the eye or to correct taste; having a pleasing appearance or expression; attractive; having symmetry and dignity; comely; - expressing more than pretty, and less than beautiful; as, a handsome man or woman; a handsome garment, house, tree, horse.
Smart
Smarts(Slang) Intelligence; expertise
A reporter with a lot of smarts.
Handsome
Suitable or fit in action; marked with propriety and ease; graceful; becoming; appropriate; as, a handsome style, etc.
Easiness and handsome address in writing.
Smart
(intransitive) To hurt or sting.
After being hit with a pitch, the batter exclaimed "Ouch, my arm smarts!"
Handsome
Evincing a becoming generosity or nobleness of character; liberal; generous.
Handsome is as handsome does.
Smart
(transitive) To cause a smart or sting in.
Handsome
Ample; moderately large.
He . . . accumulated a handsome sum of money.
Smart
(intransitive) To feel a pungent pain of mind; to feel sharp pain or grief; be punished severely; to feel the sting of evil.
Handsome
To render handsome.
Smart
Exhibiting social ability or cleverness.
Handsome
Pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion;
A fine-looking woman
A good-looking man
Better-looking than her sister
Very pretty but not so extraordinarily handsome
Our southern women are well-favored
Smart
(informal) Exhibiting intellectual knowledge, such as that found in books.
Handsome
Given or giving freely;
Was a big tipper
The bounteous goodness of God
Bountiful compliments
A freehanded host
A handsome allowance
Saturday's child is loving and giving
A liberal backer of the arts
A munificent gift
Her fond and openhanded grandfather
Smart
Equipped with intelligent behaviour (digital/computer technology).
Smart car
Handsome
Handsome (Substantial)
He made a handsome profit from the sale.
Smart
Good-looking; well dressed; fine; fashionable.
A smart outfit
You look smart in that business suit.
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!
Smart
Sudden and intense.
Smart
Causing sharp pain; stinging.
Smart
Sharp; keen; poignant.
A smart pain
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.
Smart
(archaic) Efficient; vigorous; brilliant.
Smart
(archaic) Pretentious; showy; spruce.
A smart gown
Smart
(archaic) Brisk; fresh.
A smart breeze
Smart
A sharp, quick, lively pain; a sting.
Smart
Mental pain or suffering; grief; affliction.
Smart
Smart-money.
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
Smart (Stylish in appearance)
He always dresses in smart attire for meetings.
Smart
Smart (Quick or brisk)
He made a smart turn to avoid the obstacle.
Smart
Smart (Clever design or setup)
This phone has some smart features.
Common Curiosities
Can Smart be related to appearance?
Yes, it can refer to a tidy or stylish appearance.
What does Smart predominantly mean?
Smart primarily means intelligent or clever.
What does Handsome primarily refer to?
Handsome primarily refers to physical attractiveness.
Can Handsome be used for objects?
Yes, it can be used to describe elegant or aesthetically pleasing objects.
Is Handsome gender-specific?
While often linked with men, it can be used for any gender.
Can Handsome refer to generosity?
Yes, in contexts like "a handsome donation", it signifies generosity.
Can Smart mean a sensation or pain?
Yes, like in "a smart sting", it refers to a sharp sensation.
Are the terms Handsome and Smart subjective?
While Handsome is often subjective, Smart can be both subjective and objective.
Can Smart refer to speed?
Yes, in terms like "a smart pace", it means brisk or quick.
Can a person be both Handsome and Smart?
Absolutely, one can be both physically attractive and intelligent.
Which word has a broader range of meanings?
Smart has a broader range, from intelligence to appearance to sensations.
Does Smart always refer to high intelligence?
No, it can mean various things, from being witty to having clever designs.
Is Handsome used more for males or females?
Traditionally, it's more associated with males, but it's not exclusive.
Can Handsome mean significant or large?
Yes, like in "a handsome volume", it refers to something substantial.
Can objects be described as Smart?
Yes, particularly those with clever designs or functionalities.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
