wisecrack
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has wisecrackedperfect 3rd person singular
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have wisecrackedperfect
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are wisecrackingprogressive
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have been wisecrackingperfect progressive
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am wisecrackingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been wisecrackingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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wisecrackingparticiple
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is wisecrackingprogressive 3rd person singular
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wisecrackssingular 3rd person
Past
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had wisecrackedperfect
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were wisecrackingprogressive plural
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had been wisecrackingperfect progressive
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was wisecrackingprogressive singular
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wisecrackedsimple
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wisecrackedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of wisecrack
Explanation
A wisecrack is a funny joke or a sarcastic remark that makes someone laugh. The class clown is usually famous for their wisecracks. You can use this informal word as a verb, too: "How can I know when you're serious if you just wisecrack constantly?" Wisecrack first appeared at the start of the 20th century, from a now-uncommon sense of the verb crack, "speak loudly or boastingly," which is also used in the phrase "to crack a joke." It takes more than wisecracks to be a successful comedian, but it's a good start!
Vocabulary lists containing wisecrack
Spider-Man's Word Web
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The Skin I'm In
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Red Kayak
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Madison, Wis. No Wisecrack Sirs: I very much regret that in your issue of May 31, p.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
