wise
adjective
having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.
wise
1 American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
adjective
-
wiser,
comparative
-
wisest
superlative
-
having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.
- Synonyms:
- intelligent, sagacious, sensible, sage
-
characterized by or showing such power; judicious or prudent.
a wise decision.
- Antonyms:
- foolish
-
possessed of or characterized by scholarly knowledge or learning; learned; erudite.
wise in the law.
-
having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances, etc..
We are wiser for their explanations.
-
Slang. informed; in the know.
You're wise, so why not give us the lowdown?
-
Archaic. having knowledge of magic or witchcraft.
verb (used with object)
wised,
wising
verb phrase
idioms
-
get wise,
-
to become informed.
-
to be or become presumptuous or impertinent.
Don't get wise with me, young man!
-
-
wise to, familiar or aware; cognizant of; no longer deceived by a lie, confidence game, trick, or misdirection: Also beget wise to
In the end, the investors were wise to the fraud.
-
put / set someone wise, to inform a person; let a person in on a secret or generally unknown fact.
Some of the others put him wise to what was going on.
wise
2
American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
noun
wise
3
American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
verb (used with object)
wised,
wising
-
Chiefly Scot.
-
to instruct.
-
to induce or advise.
-
to show the way to; guide.
-
-
Scot. to direct the course of; cause to turn.
Wise
4
American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
noun
-
Isaac Mayer 1819–1900, U.S. rabbi and educator, born in Bohemia: founder of Reform Judaism in the U.S.
-
Stephen Samuel, 1874–1949, U.S. rabbi, theologian, and Zionist leader; born in Hungary.
-wise
5
American
wise
1
British
/ waɪz /
adjective
-
possessing, showing, or prompted by wisdom or discernment
-
prudent; sensible
-
shrewd; crafty
a wise plan
-
well-informed; erudite
-
aware, informed, or knowing (esp in the phrase none the wiser )
-
slang in the know, esp possessing inside information (about)
-
archaic possessing powers of magic
-
slang cocksure or insolent
-
informal (often foll by to) to be or become aware or informed (of something) or to face up (to facts)
-
slang (often foll by to) to inform or warn (of)
verb
-wise
2
British
combining form
-
Also: -ways. indicating direction or manner
clockwise
likewise
-
with reference to
profitwise
businesswise
wise
3
British
/ waɪz /
noun
wise
More Idioms
Usage
What does -wise mean? The suffix -wise meaning “direction” or "a way of doing." It is occasionally used in a variety of everyday terms, particularly to indicate a movement. The form -wise comes from Old English wíse, meaning “way, manner; style, melody.” Yes, melody. Discover why at our entry for the related term verse.
Commonly Confused
The suffix -wise is old in the language in adverbs referring to manner, direction, etc.: crosswise; lengthwise. Coinages like marketwise, saleswise, and weatherwise are often criticized, perhaps because of their association with the media: Otherwise—or moneywise, as they were already saying in the motion-picture industry—Hollywood was at the crest of its supercolossal glory. This suffix should not be confused with the adjective wise1 , which appears in such compound words as streetwise and worldly-wise.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of wise1
First recorded before 900; Middle English wis(e), Old English wīs; cognate with Dutch wijs, German weise, Old Norse vīss, Gothic (un)weis “ignorant, unlearned”; akin to wit 1, wit 2
Origin of wise2
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English: “way, manner; style, melody”; cognate with Dutch wijze, German Weise “tune, melody; (figurative) manner, way,” Old Norse vīsa “verse, stanza, short poem,” Danish vise “ballad”; akin to Greek eîdos (from weîdos ) “form, shape”
Origin of wise3
First recorded before 900; Middle English wisen, “to advise, reveal, guide,” Old English wīsian “to show the way, guide, direct,” akin to wīs wise 1; cognate with Old High German wīsan, Old Norse vīsa “to point out, indicate”
Explanation
The adjective wise describes someone who has experience and a deep understanding. Your wise older sister always gives the best advice. When you make a decision based on careful thought and good judgment, you've made a wise choice. If someone calls you a wise guy, though, it's not a compliment: it's likely to be a criticism of your joke at someone else's expense or your rudeness. To wise off (or sometimes, to be wise), has a similar meaning: to talk back or be disrespectful.
Vocabulary lists containing wise
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
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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.
See Examples For:
Vance told USA Today that “my faith tells me to fight against” the blind pursuit of ambition and instead “focus on the good” and “make wise decisions and moral decisions.”
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
So while history insists it’s wise to greet any success by the U.S. with a generous amount of skepticism, the early returns suggest this cycle could be different.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
I do not think this is a wise use of public money and I think most people looking at the £11,000 figure would agree.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Hiring young engineers with no knowledge of Washington wasn’t wise or effective.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
There are no houses, no huts, just wise old trees in spring leaf, standing guard over the sandy shore.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
"There are lots of famous northern comics," said the writer, whose own work was inspired by the likes of Victoria Wood, Alan Bennett and Morecambe and Wise.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The insurers allege that Wise published confidential information in his petition and ignored past judicial rulings that raised concerns about how publicity could affect policyholders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Though it’s always best to avoid or at least minimize long-lasting card balances, Wise said “it’s maybe a bit more urgent.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
The next morning, the judge named attorney Andrea Sheridan Ordin as special master and Dr. Paul H. Wise as independent monitor to enforce the agreement, over the objections of federal officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
For even the Wise might fear to withstand the Nine, when they are gathered together under their fell chieftain.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
In Rio de Janeiro, U.S. -wise Brazilian Businessman Valentim Bougas urged Latin Americans to follow the ex ample of European nations, which met in Paris last summer to canvass their needs.
From Time Magazine Archive
Likewise, New Yorker Music Critic Winthrop Sargeant attacked the suffix -wise, as in taxwise.
From Time Magazine Archive
When the shortcomings of any illustrious man save Borrow are under discussion, 'les defauts de ses qualites' is the criticism- -wise as charitable—which they evoke.
From The Life of George Borrow by Herbert George Jenkins
But taking steps to improve your acuity and overall wellness will help you make wiser, more informed decisions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
This season, he’s healthy, wiser and ready to improvise even more to take advantage of his running and passing skills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
He's a little bit older, a little bit wiser.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
It’s just we need wiser, smarter, better leaders, who are, frankly, less mercenary.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
After all, were they not smarter, wiser, more thoughtful and forethoughtful, the wealthiest, the most enlightened?
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
But once talks broke down over an extension in Carolina, the Hurricanes decided that the wisest long-term move was to ship him somewhere else.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2025
I think this is, by far, the wisest course in the short term.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2025
As someone who entered a career in music journalism in the 2000s, I might not be the wisest voice to turn to for financial advice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2025
Among the wisest of Coop’s early introspections considers the way that the race to acquire status symbols makes you lose sight of the things that once mattered.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2025
He never spoke of him with anything other than respect and admiration; he said that his father was the wisest man he had ever known.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
The fable of what transpires when a young man raised by elves goes back to investigate his human roots, it manages to be both genuinely sweet and just a teensy bit wised up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2022
Recovered: I hope not too many people were hurt before you wised up.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 17, 2022
Media, especially after Theranos, wised up a bit.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2022
They wised up at some point, whereas I still hadn’t learned.
From The Verge ● Dec. 13, 2021
"I just got wised up to something funny the last two days," remarked Wilson.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
But now, experts say, Milei is wising up to the game, giving up some campaign promises while maneuvering to secure enough other priorities to claim victory.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
While U.S. players have led the development of retail media networks, European retailers are wising up to the opportunity.
From Reuters ● Jun. 12, 2023
Increasingly, people are wising up to both the company’s serious threat as a monopoly and its willingness to seek domination at the expense of the health of its blue-collar workers.
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2018
In short, teams appear to be wising up.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 22, 2018
I'm wising you up so you won't hand her any more misery by trying to take her part.
From Cow-Country by B. M. Bower
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
