wise guy
Informal. a cocksure, conceited, and often insolent person; smart aleck: He has a reputation for being a wise guy.
Origin of wise guy
1- Also called wiseacre.
Other words from wise guy
- wise-guy, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use wise guy in a sentence
When the now revered Ronald Reagan's house was on fire, one wise guy remarked: “they saved the books but the crayons melted.”
He had to be a wise guy to slip one over on an old big-leaguer like yours truly, and that's no sidewalk banter either.
Back Home | Irvin S. CobbHe was a wise guy in the sense that he could be disrespectful in a way that you would accept.
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President KennedyWhen speaking to the FBI, did you characterize him as a wise guy, or is that the agent's characterization?
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President KennedySuppose, continued Warner in the manner of one weighing every chance, she goes with her troubles to some wise guy?
Out of the Air | Inez Haynes Irwin
Simms snarled out of the side of his mouth, "Shut up, wise guy!"
On the Trail of the Space Pirates | Carey Rockwell
British Dictionary definitions for wise guy
informal a person who is given to making conceited, sardonic, or insolent comments
US 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
Other Idioms and Phrases with wise guy
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.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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