Difference between Beautiful and Smart

Key Difference: In context to outer appearance, beautiful is used for any entity which provides pleasure to the senses. It is often associated with inner beauty, where it is used for someone who possesses high standard qualities of a human being. On the other hand, smart is generally used for a witty or shrewd person. In context to outer appearance, it is used for a stylish and elegant person.

Beautiful is a difficult word to express as it is expressed and believed in different ways by people. However, it is generally related to beauty which in any form, soothes and provides pleasure to the senses. In context to a person, it is associated with both outer and inner body. Outer body is often judged by the attractiveness of the physical features. On the other hand, inner body is judged by the character and virtues possessed by the person.

'Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder' – This phrase is the best to define beauty, as any entity living or non-living may look beautiful to one and not beautiful to other, Therefore, it is often taken as a perception which differs from a person to person.

Smart is another adjective which is often used in context to persons who are witty and possess common sense. Smartness is also associated with cleverness. Sometimes, smartness is also associated with the appearance too. It is often associated with people who are fashionable and neat.

Smartness may be reflected in speech or conversation also. Therefore, like beauty, smartness is also viewed from two dimensions – outer appearance and inner characteristics.

However, they both are different from each other. A person may also be both smart and beautiful at the same time. Beauty is often related with the aesthetics, as a part of it. It also refers to the characteristics– outer or inner, which provides a pleasure to the senses. On the other hand, smartness is closely related to people who are witty and quick, or are stylish. A person may possess both characteristics (outer and inner) of smartness too.

Comparison between Beautiful and Smart:

	Beautiful	Smart
Meaning (In context to inner characteristics)	Beauty is often associated with inner beauty, where one is considered beautiful if he or she is a good human being of a very high standard	Smart is often associated with the cleverness. A smart person is witty and intelligent and knows how to use these characteristics in an efficient manner
Meaning (In context to outer characteristics)	Anything which is soothing or provide pleasure to the senses. It is often used as a synonym for attractive	Smart also refers to a person who dresses up stylishly. One who is neat and looks confident
Usage	She is very pretty and beautiful Mother Teresa was a beautiful person Innocence of a child is always beautiful These roses are beautiful	He is so good looking and smart She is smart enough to use her looks He looks smart in this jacket He manages his time efficiently, and therefore he is a smart worker
Synonyms	Attractive, gorgeous, lovely, stunning, good-looking	Cool, clever, keen, shrewd