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View synonyms for wise

wise

1

[ wahyz ]

adjective

, wis·er, wis·est.
  1. 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

  2. characterized by or showing such power; judicious or prudent:

    a wise decision.

    Antonyms: foolish

  3. possessed of or characterized by scholarly knowledge or learning; learned; erudite:

    wise in the law.

  4. having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances, etc.:

    We are wiser for their explanations.

  5. Slang. informed; in the know:

    You're wise, so why not give us the lowdown?

  6. Archaic. having knowledge of magic or witchcraft.


verb (used with object)

, wised, wis·ing.
  1. Slang. to make wise or aware:

    I'll wise you, kid.

verb phrase

  1. Slang. to make or become aware of a secret or generally unknown fact, situation, attitude, etc.:

    They wised him up on how to please the boss.

    She never wised up to the fact that the joke was on her.

wise

2

[ wahyz ]

noun

  1. way of proceeding or considering; manner; fashion (usually used in combination or in certain phrases):

    otherwise;

    in any wise;

    in no wise.

wise

3

[ wahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, wised, wis·ing.
  1. Chiefly Scot.
    1. to instruct.
    2. to induce or advise.
    3. to show the way to; guide.
  2. Scot. to direct the course of; cause to turn.

Wise

4

[ wahyz ]

noun

  1. Isaac May·er [mahy, -er], 1819–1900, U.S. rabbi and educator, born in Bohemia: founder of Reform Judaism in the U.S.
  2. Stephen Samuel, 1874–1949, U.S. rabbi, theologian, and Zionist leader; born in Hungary.

-wise

5
  1. a suffixal use of wise 2 in adverbs denoting manner, position, direction, reference, etc.:

    counterclockwise; edgewise; marketwise; timewise.

-wise

1

combining form

  1. Also-ways indicating direction or manner

    likewise

    clockwise

  2. with reference to

    businesswise

    profitwise



wise

2

/ waɪz /

noun

  1. archaic.
    way, manner, fashion, or respect (esp in the phrases any wise, in no wise )

wise

3

/ waɪz /

adjective

  1. possessing, showing, or prompted by wisdom or discernment
  2. prudent; sensible
  3. shrewd; crafty

    a wise plan

  4. well-informed; erudite
  5. aware, informed, or knowing (esp in the phrase none the wiser )
  6. slang.
    postpositiveoften foll byto in the know, esp possessing inside information (about)
  7. archaic.
    possessing powers of magic
  8. slang.
    cocksure or insolent
  9. be wise informal.
    be wiseget wise often foll by to to be or become aware or informed (of something) or to face up (to facts)
  10. put wise slang.
    put wise often foll by to to inform or warn (of)

verb

  1. See wise up

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Confusables Note

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.

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Derived Forms

  • ˈwisely, adverb
  • ˈwiseness, noun

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Other Words From

  • wise·ly adverb

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Word History and Origins

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”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of wise1

Old English -wisan; see wise ²

Origin of wise2

Old English wīse manner; related to Old Saxon wīsa, German Weise, Old Norse vīsa verse, Latin vīsus face

Origin of wise3

Old English wīs ; related to Old Norse vīss, Gothic weis, German weise

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. get wise, Slang.
    1. to become informed.
    2. to be or become presumptuous or impertinent:

      Don't get wise with me, young man!

  2. put / set someone wise, Slang. 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.

  3. wise to, Slang. 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.

More idioms and phrases containing wise

  • get wise to
  • none the wiser
  • penny wise and pound foolish
  • put wise
  • sadder but wiser
  • word to the wise

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Example Sentences

I’d just officially come out as nonbinary and was finding out what that meant and what it would look like career wise.

Though I do want to see what’s going on with Bam Adebayo health-wise.

Percentage wise that represents a small fraction of the district – somewhere around 3 percent.

Hurricane Laura is on its way to the Gulf Coast of the United States, and homeowners in the area would be wise to wonder just how at risk they are of flooding.

From Fortune

Public declined to give a specific figure on Galloway’s investment or specify its valuation, though CEO Leif Abraham says it represents an uptick valuation-wise compared to its most recent Series B round.

From Fortune

This is the Mexico that U.S. college students would be wise to steer clear of on spring break.

I did a piece for Elle about the effort to remake her into an elegant presence fashion-wise.

Kendrick rapidly chants these last lines in repetition with Bilal and Anna Wise sing-shouting behind him, like a rallying cry.

But most women do the walk with their man, even if they later wise up and decide to leave him after all.

Florida, with its large seasonal migrations of northeasterners, is also now a wine-wise state.

The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.

A wise man hateth not the commandments and justices, and he shall not be dashed in pieces as a ship in a storm.

She is quite true, but not wise, and your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing.

There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith.

It's an idle question, I know; wise men and musty philosophers say that regrets are foolish.

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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.

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