wise guy

See synonyms for: wise guywiseguy on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Informal. a cocksure, conceited, and often insolent person; smart aleck: He has a reputation for being a wise guy.

Origin of wise guy

1
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Other words from wise guy

  • wise-guy, adjective

Words Nearby wise guy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wise guy in a sentence

  • When the now revered Ronald Reagan's house was on fire, one wise guy remarked: “they saved the books but the crayons melted.”

    Bush Memoir Will Be a Hit | Ronald Goldfarb | November 11, 2008 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • He had to be a wise guy to slip one over on an old big-leaguer like yours truly, and that's no sidewalk banter either.

    Back Home | Irvin S. Cobb
  • He was a wise guy in the sense that he could be disrespectful in a way that you would accept.

    Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
  • When speaking to the FBI, did you characterize him as a wise guy, or is that the agent's characterization?

    Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
  • Suppose, continued Warner in the manner of one weighing every chance, she goes with her troubles to some wise guy?

    Out of the Air | Inez Haynes Irwin

British Dictionary definitions for wise guy

wise guy

noun
  1. informal a person who is given to making conceited, sardonic, or insolent comments

  2. US a member of the Mafia

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with wise guy

wise guy

An obnoxious know-it-all, a person who makes sarcastic or annoying remarks, as in the teacher was delighted that the worst wise guy in the class was moving out of town. [Slang; second half of 1800s] Also see smart aleck.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.