unwise
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unwise
First recorded before 900; Middle English unwis(e), unwisse, Old English unwīs “unwise, foolish, mad, insane”; see origin at un- 1, wise 1
Explanation
Doing something unwise means acting in a foolish or irrational way. It would be unwise to bring your cat to the library with you — you'll probably get in trouble, and the cat is unlikely to enjoy it. Wise means "having sound judgment or intelligence," and when you add the prefix un-, or "not," you get the exact opposite. Making an unwise choice means you're not using your good sense to consider all possible consequences. It would be unwise to wear shorts on the coldest day of the year, and even more unwise to walk barefoot to school in the snow. Use your common sense and wisdom and you'll avoid making unwise decisions!
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.
For the sake of convenience, you might be tempted to store them all in one big box that you keep in the corner of the room - but Carter thinks that's unwise.
From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026
So it’s neither shocking nor unwise that “The Bear”—which is not a comedy, no matter what some Emmy strategist says—is closing its doors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
It is absolutely thoughtless, shallow and unwise in every way you can imagine.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
The word “nostalgia” first emerged to describe what doctors back then considered a malady, thinking it unwise to long for the past.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
“I am worried that you have a knack for making unwise decisions,” he says when he’s a foot away from me.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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.
