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:
Lee said it’s not wise to make “irrational portfolio decisions” during a “violent tape.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
By the time Stewart’s final voyage with “Star Trek” debuted in 2020, Picard was less of a Starfleet hero than a wise man exhausted by politics and cruelty.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
In retrospect, conventional wisdom might not be all that wise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
“The banks have gotten wise to some of our games,” Henderson said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
The slogan shimmers on the suitcase in glittery letters: “If you’re wise, you’ll open this surprise!”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
The stamps depict familiar scenes of Mary and Joseph travelling, baby Jesus, an angel, the shepherds and the Three Wise Men.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
"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
“If they are too similar to other names that already exist in pharma, it can be fatal,” Wise told attendees at the Business of Naming conference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 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
Then she felt like Crispin Crispian in that old children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown, the dog who belonged to himself.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
Likewise, New Yorker Music Critic Winthrop Sargeant attacked the suffix -wise, as in taxwise.
From Time Magazine Archive
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
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
Do you think that’s just because you’ve experienced it and you’re also just older and wiser?
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
The wiser course is to work with his government to check Chinese influence in the hemisphere and to build, carefully and gingerly, on the shared interest in a stable Venezuela.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
No one, not even family and friends in attendance, would be the wiser.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
As for your will, you could write one without the help of a lawyer, but you would be wiser not to do so.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
She was a little older now, a little wiser.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
That makes the wisest, most tried-and-true rules all the more valuable in these volatile times.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026
Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta heads a misfit but inevitably successful team of New York detectives, headed by the driest, wisest chief in TV history — Captain Holt, played by the late, great Andre Braugher.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
With everyone worrying over my safety, a step-by-step approach seemed wisest, so I started by purchasing a 20-mile-per-hour e-bike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 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
“Made of Kvasir’s blood, wisest of all the gods!” shouted Fjalar.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
I wised up later in my reality TV career, but not for a while.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Recovered: I hope not too many people were hurt before you wised up.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 17, 2022
That's something people have really wised up to.
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
Is this another N95 mask situation, where the public wising up to the supposed utility of something ends up shuffling them away from the people who need them most?
From Slate ● Apr. 22, 2020
In short, teams appear to be wising up.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 22, 2018
So I heard; his nibs here," indicating the bartender, "has been wising me up, a lot.
From The Lonesome Trail and Other Stories 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.
