wisecrack
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wisecracksimple
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wisecrackssimple
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have wisecrackedperfect
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has wisecrackedperfect
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am wisecrackingprogressive
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are wisecrackingprogressive
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is wisecrackingprogressive
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have been wisecrackingperfect progressive
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has been wisecrackingperfect progressive
Past
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wisecrackedsimple
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had wisecrackedperfect
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was wisecrackingprogressive
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were wisecrackingprogressive
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had been wisecrackingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wisecrack
Explanation
A wisecrack is a funny joke or a sarcastic remark that makes someone laugh. The class clown is usually famous for their wisecracks. You can use this informal word as a verb, too: "How can I know when you're serious if you just wisecrack constantly?" Wisecrack first appeared at the start of the 20th century, from a now-uncommon sense of the verb crack, "speak loudly or boastingly," which is also used in the phrase "to crack a joke." It takes more than wisecracks to be a successful comedian, but it's a good start!
Vocabulary lists containing wisecrack
Spider-Man's Word Web
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The Skin I'm In
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Red Kayak
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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.
A wisecrack about the real estate prices popped into my head, but I held my tongue.
From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026
Pickard got the audience laughing with his wisecrack: "The song Greensleeves was composed by Henry VIII. I'd play some of it here, but it's not royalty-free."
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
It’s tempting to recycle an old wisecrack and call “One Shot With Ed Sheeran” the kind of Ed Sheeran thing you’ll like if you like this kind of Ed Sheeran thing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
Harper and Castellanos seemed to send a message about the wisecrack when they arrived at the ballpark wearing gear inspired by Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 11, 2023
At some point, a line in the play had led to Laura making some wisecrack about the tokens business, and we’d all laughed, Miss Lucy included.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
