wise guy
Americannoun
noun
-
informal a person who is given to making conceited, sardonic, or insolent comments
-
a member of the Mafia
Other Word Forms
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.
Mad magazine cartoonist and ageless wise guy delighted millions with the sneaky fun of the Fold-In and the snark of “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.”
From Seattle Times • Dec. 31, 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
“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
Brown had gone from wise guy to wise man, from skinflint to a bit of a spendthrift; the bullet train caught his eye and his imagination, though it also courted controversy.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2020
They hadn’t warned the crowd about illegal punches— and there was always a wise guy out there ready to pull a fast one.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
