wise
adjective
having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.
wise
1 American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
adjective
-
wiser,
comparative
-
wisest
superlative
-
having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.
- Synonyms:
- intelligent, sagacious, sensible, sage
-
characterized by or showing such power; judicious or prudent.
a wise decision.
- Antonyms:
- foolish
-
possessed of or characterized by scholarly knowledge or learning; learned; erudite.
wise in the law.
-
having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances, etc..
We are wiser for their explanations.
-
Slang. informed; in the know.
You're wise, so why not give us the lowdown?
-
Archaic. having knowledge of magic or witchcraft.
verb (used with object)
wised,
wising
verb phrase
idioms
-
get wise,
-
to become informed.
-
to be or become presumptuous or impertinent.
Don't get wise with me, young man!
-
-
wise to, familiar or aware; cognizant of; no longer deceived by a lie, confidence game, trick, or misdirection: Also beget wise to
In the end, the investors were wise to the fraud.
-
put / set someone wise, to inform a person; let a person in on a secret or generally unknown fact.
Some of the others put him wise to what was going on.
wise
2
American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
noun
wise
3
American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
verb (used with object)
wised,
wising
-
Chiefly Scot.
-
to instruct.
-
to induce or advise.
-
to show the way to; guide.
-
-
Scot. to direct the course of; cause to turn.
Wise
4
American
[wahyz]
/ waɪz /
noun
-
Isaac Mayer 1819–1900, U.S. rabbi and educator, born in Bohemia: founder of Reform Judaism in the U.S.
-
Stephen Samuel, 1874–1949, U.S. rabbi, theologian, and Zionist leader; born in Hungary.
-wise
5
American
wise
1
British
/ waɪz /
adjective
-
possessing, showing, or prompted by wisdom or discernment
-
prudent; sensible
-
shrewd; crafty
a wise plan
-
well-informed; erudite
-
aware, informed, or knowing (esp in the phrase none the wiser )
-
slang in the know, esp possessing inside information (about)
-
archaic possessing powers of magic
-
slang cocksure or insolent
-
informal (often foll by to) to be or become aware or informed (of something) or to face up (to facts)
-
slang (often foll by to) to inform or warn (of)
verb
-wise
2
British
combining form
-
Also: -ways. indicating direction or manner
clockwise
likewise
-
with reference to
profitwise
businesswise
wise
3
British
/ waɪz /
noun
wise
More Idioms
Usage
What does -wise mean? The suffix -wise meaning “direction” or "a way of doing." It is occasionally used in a variety of everyday terms, particularly to indicate a movement. The form -wise comes from Old English wíse, meaning “way, manner; style, melody.” Yes, melody. Discover why at our entry for the related term verse.
Commonly Confused
The suffix -wise is old in the language in adverbs referring to manner, direction, etc.: crosswise; lengthwise. Coinages like marketwise, saleswise, and weatherwise are often criticized, perhaps because of their association with the media: Otherwise—or moneywise, as they were already saying in the motion-picture industry—Hollywood was at the crest of its supercolossal glory. This suffix should not be confused with the adjective wise1 , which appears in such compound words as streetwise and worldly-wise.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of wise1
First recorded before 900; Middle English wis(e), Old English wīs; cognate with Dutch wijs, German weise, Old Norse vīss, Gothic (un)weis “ignorant, unlearned”; akin to wit 1, wit 2
Origin of wise2
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English: “way, manner; style, melody”; cognate with Dutch wijze, German Weise “tune, melody; (figurative) manner, way,” Old Norse vīsa “verse, stanza, short poem,” Danish vise “ballad”; akin to Greek eîdos (from weîdos ) “form, shape”
Origin of wise3
First recorded before 900; Middle English wisen, “to advise, reveal, guide,” Old English wīsian “to show the way, guide, direct,” akin to wīs wise 1; cognate with Old High German wīsan, Old Norse vīsa “to point out, indicate”
Explanation
The adjective wise describes someone who has experience and a deep understanding. Your wise older sister always gives the best advice. When you make a decision based on careful thought and good judgment, you've made a wise choice. If someone calls you a wise guy, though, it's not a compliment: it's likely to be a criticism of your joke at someone else's expense or your rudeness. To wise off (or sometimes, to be wise), has a similar meaning: to talk back or be disrespectful.
Vocabulary lists containing wise
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
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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.
See Examples For:
Like them, Navarro has found that his board of advisers is just as wise on nonwork topics—like parenting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Michael Kramer, portfolio manager at Mott Capital Management, sees a few reasons why it could be wise to buy some hedges.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Davis said Panettiere was “an old, wise soul with such a deep heart.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
"If you put in the effort and make wise judgements, good fortune will come your way three times in your life," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Repeating his first attempt by just coming up to her and saying hello didn’t seem wise.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
The next morning, the judge named attorney Andrea Sheridan Ordin as special master and Dr. Paul H. Wise as independent monitor to enforce the agreement, over the objections of federal officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"I asked her if she would do a collaboration with me, so we've done Morecambe and Wise. She did Morecambe and I did Wise," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
It cited long-standing deficiencies in anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism at Wise U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Wise Group shares fell as much as 11% on Friday as the U.K.-headquartered, U.S.-listed fintech had its application for a national bank charter denied.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
I recall one sermon in which he talked about the three Wise Men from the East who followed a star until it led them to Bethlehem.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Likewise, New Yorker Music Critic Winthrop Sargeant attacked the suffix -wise, as in taxwise.
From Time Magazine Archive
In Rio de Janeiro, U.S. -wise Brazilian Businessman Valentim Bougas urged Latin Americans to follow the ex ample of European nations, which met in Paris last summer to canvass their needs.
From Time Magazine Archive
When the shortcomings of any illustrious man save Borrow are under discussion, 'les defauts de ses qualites' is the criticism- -wise as charitable—which they evoke.
From The Life of George Borrow by Herbert George Jenkins
“Warren and I are mostly peers, but sometimes he is so much wiser than I am, he’s like a father figure to me,” Gates wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Not everyone gets wiser as they get older.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
Instead, it would be far wiser for policymakers to focus on directly strengthening the social safety net, so every patient has equitable access to treatments without financial hardship.
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
Araki’s sensibility is, if anything, wiser now, though he’d probably flinch at the word.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
Might there not be an even more elaborate effort by an older and wiser species, courageously battling the advance of desiccation on the red planet?
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta heads a misfit but inevitably successful team of New York detectives, headed by the driest, wisest chief in TV history — Captain Holt, played by the late, great Andre Braugher.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
With everyone worrying over my safety, a step-by-step approach seemed wisest, so I started by purchasing a 20-mile-per-hour e-bike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Whether it is Slot or those on the pitch, then, it is largely Liverpool's wisest heads who are making the difference in the key moments.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025
I think this is, by far, the wisest course in the short term.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2025
Perhaps it would be wisest to simply follow her instructions and use the poultice at once.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Then she wised up and went to law school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2023
Recovered: I hope not too many people were hurt before you wised up.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 17, 2022
Media, especially after Theranos, wised up a bit.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2022
They wised up at some point, whereas I still hadn’t learned.
From The Verge ● Dec. 13, 2021
Though he looks soft, he’s already wised up that life can be hard.
From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
But now, experts say, Milei is wising up to the game, giving up some campaign promises while maneuvering to secure enough other priorities to claim victory.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
While U.S. players have led the development of retail media networks, European retailers are wising up to the opportunity.
From Reuters ● Jun. 12, 2023
At the same time that more of Congress is getting on board, movers and shakers in the business community are also wising up to the benefits of paid family leave.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2021
Americans may be wising up, looking for less talk and more action.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 10, 2020
So I heard; his nibs here," indicating the bartender, "has been wising me up, a lot.
From The Lonesome Trail and Other Stories by B. M. Bower
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.
