Street Smarts (Noun)
Meaning
A shrewd ability to survive in a dangerous urban environment.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- She grew up on the tough streets of Brooklyn, developing street smarts that would serve her well throughout her life.
- His street smarts helped him navigate the city's underworld, always staying one step ahead of trouble.
- Having spent her teenage years homeless, she learned valuable street smarts that allowed her to survive and eventually thrive.
- The new police officer was warned that street smarts were just as important as book smarts in dealing with the city's toughest neighborhoods.
- After years of living in the inner city, she had honed her street smarts to the point where she could read people and situations like a pro.