- 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.
- to make oneself neater
- to make quicker or livelier
