clever-clever
8.8
Someone who acts as if they are smarter than other people to show off
- adjective
- /ˈklɛvərˈklɛvər/
- Offensive
:
listillo
- From the word go, right there in the premise and the title, it's all so clever-clever, so knowingly absurd on every level that it should by all rights crumble under the weight of its own smug self-awareness.
Examples
-
His clever-clever remarks during the meeting made everyone roll their eyes at his smugness.
-
She always tries to be clever-clever, but sometimes it just comes off as pretentious.
-
The movie was filled with clever-clever humor that appealed to its overly intellectual audience.
Synonyms
witty
vsclever-clever
85
3.8
Quick clever remarks that make people laugh
is deliberate showiness of intelligence rather than playful humor
74
7.3
Trying to seem more important or clever than you really are
acts ostentatious and self-satisfied to show off intelligence
1
8.6
Acting too smart so it annoys other people and causes problems
shows ostentatious, smug intelligence rather than merely causing trouble
Antonyms
How Clever
Surface Forms
clever-clever positive
Etymology
Clever-clever is just the common adjective clever said twice to make it stronger, like repeating a word to get attention. Repeating it gives a mocking, 'show off' feeling, so clever-clever means someone who is deliberately trying to seem smart.