smarten

[ smahr-tn ]

/ ˈsmɑr tn /

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.

Origin of smarten

First recorded in 1805–15; smart + -en¹

Next day he sent for the senior officer, and after a short talk with him told him to smarten up his subaltern.

General Gatacre |Beatrix Gatacre
Look to the servants, too, and smarten them up; a cold perspiration breaks over me when I think of Betty Cobb!

The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. II.(of II) |Charles James Lever
He's one of the sons, and he'd smarten 'em up if he had his way.

The Eldest Son |Archibald Marshall
An' I take it that the bar'l has an influence: some bar'ls kind of wilt cider and some smarten it up, and keep it hearty.

A Country Doctor and Selected Stories and Sketches |Sarah Orne Jewett

The girls went to ride with him, and naturally began to smarten their dress and accents and to change their estimates.

'Charge It' |Irving Bacheller

smarten

/ (ˈsmɑːtən) /

(intr) to make oneself neater

(tr) to make quicker or livelier