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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.

Mad magazine’s award-winning cartoonist and ageless wise guy who delighted millions of kids with the sneaky fun of the Fold-In and the snark of “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 3, 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

“So does Jones get the tackle credit too,” one wise guy posted in a comment on YouTube.

From Washington Times • Mar. 31, 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

He gave me a sideways look as if to say “Oh, a wise guy, huh?” and said suddenly, decisively, “I think maybe I’d better take your name.”

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

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.