wise

adjective

\ ˈwīz

wiser; wisest

Definition of wise

(Entry 1 of 7)

1a : characterized by wisdom : marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment

b : exercising or showing sound judgment : prudent a wise investor

2a : evidencing or hinting at the possession of inside information : knowing

b : possessing inside information the police got wise to his whereabouts

c : crafty, shrewd

d : aware of or informed about a particular matter —usually used in the comparative in negative constructions with the was none the wiser about their plans

3 : insolent, smart-alecky, fresh a tough kid with a wise mouth

4 archaic : skilled in magic or divination

wise

verb (1)

wised; wising

Definition of wise (Entry 2 of 7)

intransitive verb

: to become informed or knowledgeable : learn —used with up

transitive verb

: to give instruction or information to : teach —usually used with up wise him up about procedures

wise

noun

Definition of wise (Entry 3 of 7)

: manner, way in any wise Old age seemed in no wise to have dulled him, but to have sharpened …— Herman Melville

wise

verb (2)

wised; wising

Definition of wise (Entry 4 of 7)

transitive verb

1 chiefly Scotland

a : direct, guide

b : advise, persuade

2 chiefly Scotland : to divert or impel in a given direction : send

-wise

adverb combining form

Definition of -wise (Entry 5 of 7)

1a : in the manner of crabwise fanwise

b : in the position or direction of slantwise clockwise

2 : with regard to : in respect of dollarwise

Wise

biographical name (1)

\ ˈwīz

Definition of Wise (Entry 6 of 7)

Stephen Samuel 1874–1949 American (Hungarian-born) rabbi

Wise

biographical name (2)

Definition of Wise (Entry 7 of 7)

Thomas James 1859–1937 English bibliophile and forger

Other Words from wise Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about wise

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Synonyms & Antonyms for wise

Synonyms: Adjective

discerning, insightful, perceptive, prudent, sagacious, sage, sapient

Antonyms: Adjective

unperceptive, unwise

Choose the Right Synonym for wise

Adjective

wise, sage, sapient, judicious, prudent, sensible, sane mean having or showing sound judgment. wise suggests great understanding of people and of situations and unusual discernment and judgment in dealing with them. wise beyond his tender years sage suggests wide experience, great learning, and wisdom. the sage advice of my father sapient suggests great sagacity and discernment. the sapient musings of an old philosopher judicious stresses a capacity for reaching wise decisions or just conclusions. judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure prudent suggests the exercise of restraint guided by sound practical wisdom and discretion. a prudent decision to wait out the storm sensible applies to action guided and restrained by good sense and rationality. a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery sane stresses mental soundness, rationality, and levelheadedness. remained sane even in times of crises

Examples of wise in a Sentence

Adjective

I'm a little wiser now than I was back then. The wisest course of action would be to leave. That was a wise choice. Many have benefited from her wise counsel.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

These two are pros at cracking wise — on birthdays, about their children, about each other. — Claire Dodson, Teen Vogue, "Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds's Instagram Trolling: A History," 4 Oct. 2018 Over the phone, the male associate was kind and knowledgeable, chitchatting with me about the collection and its memorable brushstroke motifs, assuring me that my purchase was not only chic, but a wise investment. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Shopping While Black: Why I’m No Longer Afraid to Call Time on Racial Profiling," 29 Aug. 2018 Teenagers today are very wise in the ways of the world. — Houston Chronicle, "Teens are kept in the dark about dad’s office affair," 1 July 2018 Ferndale has managed to maintain low parking rates since around 2004 or 2005 through wise investments in technology and professionalizing parking services, according to Assistant City Manager Joseph Gacioch. — Bryce Airgood, Detroit Free Press, "Feeding the meter costs 3x more in Royal Oak than Ferndale," 21 June 2018 Each was on an individual journey: Chuck was trying to trap a wise-cracking, cowboy hat-wearing Attorney General (Clancy Brown), and Bobby was trying to rehabilitate the reputation of Axe Capital. — refinery29.com, "Billions Season 3 Finale Recap: "The Death Zone"," 11 June 2018 Generous and well-groomed brows don't appear to be going out of style anytime soon, making a good brow booster a wise beauty investment. — Macaela Mackenzie, Allure, "This Genius M.A.C. Lash Primer Hack Makes Your Brows Look Way Thicker," 16 May 2018 Given the company’s struggle to revive sales at Gap, its flagship brand, that appears to be a wise decision. ... — Elizabeth Winkler, WSJ, "Unlocking Gap’s Valuation Gap," 28 Feb. 2019 Despite the outcry from users at the time, the decision proved to be a wise one. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Book tells the inside story of how Reddit came to be the Internet’s “id”," 30 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The 44th anniversary of Illinois’ state lottery is less than seven weeks away, and the only concern state government ever seems to have is when people wise up to the lousy odds, buy fewer tickets and revenue projections are missed. — Phil Rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, "Morality a non-factor as Illinois, others weigh sports betting," 14 May 2018 America lags Europe in regulations protecting consumer data, but some companies are starting to wise up. — Geoffrey A. Fowler, The Seattle Times, "Lessons from CES: How to make tech gadgets great again," 13 Jan. 2018 There are indications that some academic institutions are beginning to wise up to the dangers. — Gina Kolata, New York Times, "Many Academics Are Eager to Publish in Worthless Journals," 30 Oct. 2017 Customers would eventually wise up and stop paying premium prices for GMCs. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "GMC adds luxury, new looks to buff brand's image and boost sales," 16 Sep. 2017 Still, fans are hopeful that Arya and/or Sansa will wise up to Littlefinger's machinations and turn on him. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "All the Fan Theories About 'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Finale Ranked from Least to Most Likely to Come True," 26 Aug. 2017 The Belgian international understands what his new boss wants to implement at Selhurst Park and he's suggested that his teammates need to wise up to what their Dutch manager is demanding from them, according to Daily Star reports. — SI.com, "Benteke Pleads With Eagles Teammates to 'Get Used to' New Manager's Tactics," 14 Aug. 2017 Voters need to wise up to the shenanigans being played by their state leaders and the governor, or prepare to open their wallets to pay for this money pit being created by our one-party system. — Orange County Register, "State budget needs real balance," 21 Jan. 2017 There are stories of wrestlers who hesitated to wise up their spouses and children, even if that meant faking injuries around the house. — Jeremy Gordon, New York Times, "Magazine | Notebook," 27 May 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.