wi·sen·hei·mer
ˈwī-zᵊn-ˌhī-mər 
variants
or less commonly weisenheimer
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Wisenheimer and More "Wise" Words
We wouldn't joke around about the origin of this witty word. In the early 20th century, someone had the smart idea to combine the adjective wise (one sense of which means "insolent, smart-alecky, or fresh") with -enheimer, playing on the pattern of family names such as Oppenheimer and Guggenheimer. Of course, wisenheimer isn't the only "wise-" word for someone who jokes around. There's also wiseacre, wisecracker, and wise guy. All of these jokesters are fond of making wisecracks.
Synonyms of weisenheimer
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Noun (2)
Examples of weisenheimer in a Sentence
Noun (2)
it seems like every time we go to the movies, sitting behind us is some wisenheimer making snide cracks
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023
Stan is a bit of a wisenheimer, and Sandler puts his natural yappiness to good use.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2022
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Noun
Also, the movie knows when to ease up on the wisenheimer instinct.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023
Stan is a bit of a wisenheimer, and Sandler puts his natural yappiness to good use.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Weisenheimer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weisenheimer. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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