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wise guy

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wise guy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste.
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Also called wiseacre.

Origin of wise guy

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

OTHER WORDS FROM wise guy

wise-guy, adjective

Words nearby wise guy

wisdom of jesus, the son of sirach, wisdom of solomon, wisdom teeth, wisdom tooth, wise, wise guy, wise men, wise up, wise up to, wise-ass, wiseacre
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to wise guy

crook, hoodlum, know-it-all, mobster, bigmouth, criminal, hood, smarty-pants, mafioso, wiseacre, wiseass, wisenheimer

British Dictionary definitions for wise guy

wise guy

noun

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

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.