UNWISE Synonyms: 198 Similar and Opposite Words

unwise

adjective

ˌən-ˈwīz

Definition of unwise

as in foolish

showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment made the unwise decision to invest in a brand-new company

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in inappropriate

showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations an unwise urge to confide in total strangers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stupid

not having or showing a deep understanding of something a stunningly unwise observer of the political scene

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unwise Here, however, the joke is that appearances can be deceiving — or to be more specific, that trying to act like a character in a movie is a reckless, unwise thing to do. — Elena Lazic, Variety, 26 June 2026 And given this context, Anthropic’s actions are viewed by many within Washington as not simply unwise, but actively antagonistic. — Tina Nguyen, The Verge, 17 June 2026 For their part, do politicians and agency leaders like it when their pet projects are assessed by intelligence as unwise or infeasible? — Gregory F. Treverton, The Conversation, 8 June 2026 The economic reality is that, despite Putin’s tough guy bluster and despite higher oil and gas prices as well as the unwise relaxation of energy sanctions on Russia, Putin’s house of cards is still more vulnerable than many realize. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unwise

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwise

Adjective

That’s economically foolish and potentially devastating for patients.

— Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
As some of us will inevitably succumb to its grand and growing illusion, the rest may get the opportunity to find the key to understanding how so many others could be fooled and so foolish.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of foolish

Adjective

Pat is a little bit like an inappropriate uncle at a family gathering in the 1970s.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Montana did not directly answer questions about the decision to choose BCBS over Allegiance and whether there was inappropriate contact among state officials.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

Far too much coverage of declining trust in science — particularly the anti-vaccine movement — is predicated on the assumption that its adherents are either stupid or crazy.

— Rick Berke, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026
The Dodge Durango Hellcat is the most accessible way to go stupid-fast in a three-row family car thanks to the Escalade V‘s high price tag.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of stupid

Adjective

The Astros’ rotation is in such a state that ruling anyone out as a candidate to start games seems silly, but their actions indicate Imai is something of a last resort.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
So, even though Jay spent the song drawing a line between his own sophistication and the rest of the rap world’s childish behavior, 13 years later, kids are turning his luxury flex into a silly dance.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of silly

Adjective

The itinerants were all a bit peculiar, capable of making imprudent choices.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
And this is Minsky’s point, that speculative excesses during euphoric, transformative periods result in imprudent financing, fragility, and instability.

— Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 4 June 2026

Definition of imprudent

Adjective

The friends aren’t dumb; they’ve just been baked for so long that acting dumb is a habit.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Perhaps in writing it, Salinger was trying to negotiate whether his remarkable survival through some of the war’s worst gauntlets could be chalked up to dumb luck, or divine intervention.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of dumb

Adjective

There has been something almost absurd about Ferran Torres’ summer.

— Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
SpaceX’s Starlink constellation currently performs an average of 1,000 maneuvers a day to dodge potential collisions, a number that would have seemed absurd just a decade ago.

— Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of absurd

Adjective

His brother, Eugene, who also reported the phone call as being improper, was elected to Congress in 2024 from Virginia.

— Caroline Linton, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Yet Jeanie’s attorney, Adam Streisand of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton Law, argued in the letter sent to her siblings’ attorneys that two previous legal rulings render that strategy improper.

— Sam Amick, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of improper

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unwisdom

unwise

unwisely

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“Unwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwise. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unwise

adjective

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