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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 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 With runners on first and second and one away, new reliever Tim Hill then made the unwise decision to throw to third after fielding a comebacker. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unwise

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwise

Adjective

Johnson continued this week to push for his foolish and counterproductive desire to impose a $33-per-month tax on each Chicago job generated by the city’s largest private-sector employers.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
As is, this is a foolish thriller that prompts the occasional snicker but not much more.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

Definition of foolish

Adjective

But does that in itself tell us that Bellingham’s comments were somehow wrong or inappropriate?

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 July 2026
The archdiocese also continues to investigate former Bishop Miege President Phil Baniewicz, who was ousted last August after allegations surfaced about inappropriate behavior with a minor.

— Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

There are plenty of videos from Yellowstone National Park involving tourists doing breathtakingly stupid things around wild animals.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026
Even when Romanzy goes off on how stupid and ugly Caleb is — and gossips that his parents abandoned him because something must be wrong with him — Mary goes along with it.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026

Definition of stupid

Adjective

She’s seen during a dance rehearsal, a silly social media clip, and onstage from their Lollapalooza set, the latter of which came before her announcement in February to step away from Katseye.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Starring British comedy favourites such as Kevin Eldon and Miranda Hart, Hyperdrive is a very silly show that ended up more like a workplace sitcom in space rather than the next Red Dwarf.

— William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of silly

Adjective

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
Additional charges included negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.

— Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026

Definition of imprudent

Adjective

What used to be a forum for original, quirky, clever remarks by the Daily News’ varied community of smartypants has turned into a gridlock of repetitious venting of old, dumb blah.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026
How to make an iPhone a 'dumb phone' To simplify an iPhone, users should engage Assistive Access, an iOS feature intended for users with cognitive disabilities.

— Greta Cross, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Definition of dumb

Adjective

In each social-commentary-teetering-on-horror episode, Nanno is a pupil at a different school, picture perfect and scanning the room for whatever secrets — an abusive teacher, an absurd hierarchical system, petty jealousy — demand to be revealed.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Cattelan spoke to the Financial Times about the strange afterlife of the work, which has become both a symbol of the art market’s excesses and a reminder of his talent for turning absurd ideas into global spectacles.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026

Definition of absurd

Adjective

People who participated—most of whom asked for anonymity, fearing reprisals—rejected the suggestion that there was anything improper about the practice.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 14 July 2026
The federal government removed some improper enrollments, but the price increase appears to have played a major role.

— Aparna Soni, Fortune, 14 July 2026

Definition of improper

Browse Nearby Words

unwisdom

unwise

unwisely

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“Unwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwise. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of unwise

adjective

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