Does 되바라지다 mean "narrow-minded" or "sophisticated"?

 ANSWER: Both?

My Korean-English dictionary gives three different definitions for the Korean adjective 되바라지다. The first definition is "shallow," "open," or "exposed," so 되바라진 접시 translates as "a shallow dish," and 되바라진 장소 as "an exposed place," possibly suggesting that a place surrounded by high mountains or walls is safer than a place not surrounded by high mountains or walls. Koreans, therefore, seem to associate "shallowness" with "being exposed."

The second definition of 되바라지다 is "shallow-brained," "narrow-minded," "intolerant," or "illiberal," so 되바라진 사람 could translate as "a narrow-minded person," right?

But then there is the third definition, which is "overly smart," "too sharp," "sophisticated," "pert," "saucy," "forward," or "cheeky." The example phrase with the third definition is 되바라진 사람, which is translated as "a pert (sophisticated) person." 

So, does 되바라진 사람 mean "a shallow narrow-minded person" or "a sophisticated cheeky person"? I'm confused.

The Korean for the third definition is 너무 똑똑하다, which can translate as "too smart," and that suggests that 되바라진 사람 could translate as "a person who is too smart for his or her own good" or "a person who is too smart for his or her own britches," which is usually used when a child or young person acts smarter than people think he or she should act.

So, it seems that 되바라지다 is basically just a stronger version of 바라지다, of which the third definition is "saucy," "cheeky, and "stuck up." The example phrases with the third definition of 바라지다 are 바라진 아이, which is translated as "a forward child," and 바라진 말을 하다, which is translated as "say a cheeky thing."

So it seems the definition of 되바라진 사람 has changed from meaning "a shallow narrow-minded person" to meaning "a person who is too smart for his or her own good," which means "overconfident" or "cocky."

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary