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Synonyms

wise guy

American  

noun

  1. Informal. a cocksure, conceited, and often insolent person; smart aleck.

    He has a reputation for being a wise guy.
wise guy British  

noun

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

  2. 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
wise guy Idioms  

  1. 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.

Other Word Forms

  • wise-guy adjective

Etymology

Origin of wise guy

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

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.

In 2012, McGrath won the Tony for best actor in a featured musical role playing wise guy Cookie McGee in “Nice Work If You Can Get It” starring Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2023

Locke has Charlie’s gentle deportment but with the soft edge of a cool-kid wise guy.

From New York Times • Jul. 29, 2023

Some wise guy would have tossed in toilet paper.

From Washington Times • Jan. 1, 2021

“As a young writer, I was the dandiest, cleverest wit and wise guy — a cinch if one possesses the meager gifts,” he writes.

From Washington Post • Jun. 4, 2020

The driver was sort of a wise guy.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger

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.