wise guy

American  

noun

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

   He has a reputation for being a wise guy.

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wise guy British  

noun

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

2. a member of the Mafia

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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.

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Other Word Forms

• wise-guy
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of wise guy

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wise guy

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

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2023

I enjoyed the Marx Brothers movies, but I liked Groucho because he was the wise guy.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 13, 2021

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

And if you tell ’em you knew a witty boy, you gotta tell ’em he was kind of a smart aleck, though, or a wise guy.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

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Related Words

• know-it-all

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