a right smart
Quite a lot; a good deal of something.
Also called right smart.
Updated September 21, 2026
a right smart pronunciation
/uh RITE smart/
Meaning
A Southern and South Midland way to say a considerable amount. "A right smart of snow" means a heavy fall. "A right smart piece" means a fair ways. It is not about brains. "Right" here intensifies "smart" in the older sense of sharp or considerable.
How folks use it
- “We got a right smart of rain last night.”
- “His place is a right smart piece down that road.”
Origin and etymology
"Right" as an intensifier plus older "smart" for sharp or considerable. Civil War letters and later dialect surveys show it across the South and South Midland for quantity and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does "a right smart" mean someone is intelligent?
No. In this talk it means quite a bit, or a good stretch of distance or time.