wise

adjective

Save Word

\ 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

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for wise

Synonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Adjective

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 Keeping everyone spaced out as much as possible is sensible, doing the bulk of work outside is wise. — Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, "Giants camp gets underway, no fuss, no muss, few meetings," 22 Feb. 2021 The Cowboys would be wise to show interest in the 6-4, 332-pound run stuffer. — John Owning, Dallas News, "3 Super Bowl LV participants who could be free agent targets for the Dallas Cowboys," 5 Feb. 2021 Some candidates have been told it’s wise to secure the first lady’s support to improve their chances of winning over the mayor. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, "L.A.’s first lady, Amy Wakeland, navigates shifting political fortunes in final Garcetti years," 7 Feb. 2021 As with Mary Anning in Ammonite, The Dig presents Brown as a wise and insightful local whose gifts are misunderstood by the academic elite. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "How The Dig and Ammonite Fetishize British-ness," 27 Jan. 2021 The music did not come across as refined or decorative but rather as earthy, compassionate, and wise. — Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "Music’s first responder: How Yo-Yo Ma answered the pandemic’s call and consoled a reeling nation," 27 Jan. 2021 Altshuler was gentle, wise and had a genuine interest in people, said his son, Dr. Steven Altshuler. — Dallas News, "Dr. Kenneth Altshuler, champion of mental health causes in Dallas, dies at 91," 20 Jan. 2021 But that doesn’t mean impeachment now is wise or good for the country if the goal is get past the Trump era. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Joe Biden’s Impeachment Moment," 11 Jan. 2021 Perhaps most important, Vescovo is wise enough to know when to back off and allow his flawed, exhausted but still impressive team members room to breathe and correct their mistakes. — Washington Post, "Expedition Deep Ocean: The First Descent to the Bottom of All Five of the World’s Oceans," 18 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Some of that might not happen if a lot of people just wise up. — Michael Smolens Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: COVID fatigue collides with the holidays," 15 Nov. 2020 After Vietnam, Democratic presidents began to wise up. — Kevin Baker, Harper's Magazine, "The Striking Gesture," 27 Apr. 2020 The right’s populists might wise up to this eventually. — Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, "Bernie Sanders Has Finally Got Republicans’ Attention," 15 Jan. 2020 Size wise the shrimp were on the shrimpy side for sure, but still an effective dish, particularly as a sharable or appetizer. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, "Huntsville’s popular taco-bus goes indoors," 1 Oct. 2019 But that's all changing, as more people wise up to the fact that Jordan actually has it all: religious and historical attractions, otherworldly landscapes, and cosmopolitan sophistication. — Andrew Solomon, Condé Nast Traveler, "Traveling Through Jordan’s Historic Ruins, Red Dunes, and Dead Sea," 24 July 2019 Turner wants Elwood to wise up and look out for himself. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: Colson Whitehead Is One of the Finest Novelists in America," 12 July 2019 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

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.