Cool MateLooking good vs Smart
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Looking good
InformalTop 2,000 (common)
Smart
Top 1,000 (very common)B1adjective
Most formal: SmartMost common: Smart
| Looking good | Smart | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈlʊkɪŋ ɡʊd//🇺🇸 //ˈlʊkɪŋ ɡʊd// | 🇬🇧 /["/smɑːt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/smɑːrt/"]/ |
| Meaning | To appear attractive or stylish. | Someone who is clever or good at learning. |
| Example | After the makeover, she was looking good and feeling confident. | She is very smart and always comes up with clever ideas. |
| Register | Informal | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | looking good today, you're looking good, always looking good, really looking good, feeling and looking good | be, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very |
| Antonyms | - | dumb, stupid, ignorant |
| Common mistakes | Using it in a formal setting, like a job interview., Confusing it with 'looking well', which refers to health., Saying it when someone is clearly not trying to look good. | Confusing with 'sharp' when referring to someone's wit., Using inappropriately in very casual contexts, like describing friends., Mispronouncing the word, especially in the context of slang. |
| Usage notes | Use in casual conversations to compliment someone's appearance. Avoid in formal contexts. | Used to describe a person’s intelligence or a device’s capability. Not appropriate for casual or informal situations when referring to a person, as it can be seen as too formal. |
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Frequently asked questions: Looking good vs Smart
What's the difference between Looking good and Smart?
Looking good: To appear attractive or stylish. Smart: Someone who is clever or good at learning.
Which is more formal: Looking good and Smart?
Smart is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: Looking good and Smart?
Smart is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Looking good: After the makeover, she was looking good and feeling confident. Smart: She is very smart and always comes up with clever ideas.
Can I use Looking good and Smart interchangeably?
Not always. Looking good and Smart are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.