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unwise

adjective

ˌən-ˈwīz How to pronounce unwise (audio)
Definition of unwisenext
1
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
2
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
3
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 But in a season with so much on the line, the Jets would be unwise to have Klubnik be the first player off the bench if Smith were to suffer an injury. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026 Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Needless to say, that would have been unwise for a city with a credit rating perched precariously just above junk status. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026 Leading police experts say firing weapons at moving vehicles is unwise and generally against policy in law enforcement agencies nationwide. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unwise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwise
  1. foolish
  2. inappropriate
  3. stupid
  4. silly
  5. imprudent
  6. dumb
  7. absurd
  8. improper
Adjective
  • With Oracle having lost more than $20 billion in stock-market value today, this appears to be penny-wise and pound foolish.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • While the era’s bust eventually brought most of those ventures to an end, Brown said the experience taught him not to let the fear of failure—or looking foolish—get in the way.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • The restaurant industry across the country is challenging and rife with workplace abuse and inappropriate behavior that includes issues like heavy drinking, inappropriate relationships, fights between employees and wage theft.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
  • For households, the AdGuard Family Plan also includes parental controls for restricting access to inappropriate and adult content.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • Parents who decline to vaccinate their children have been called selfish and stupid.
    — Nicholas Florko, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
  • No one is evil, but people do stupid things, which accords with my own memories of college.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • Much of the advice for making friends can feel silly or trite, but focusing on three areas may make a significant impact on your social situation.
    — Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Then again, the silliest thing our species could do is resign ourselves to disaster.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 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
  • We’ll always be thought of as too conservative, too dumb, too reactionary, too violent by too many.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Here, in this image of an ingenious skidding kitten—in both its brutality and its beautiful, dumb, playful resilience—lies the wisdom of Marcon’s art.
    — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of dumb
Adjective
  • Ambitious mukbang-ers eager to prove their gastronomic stamina descended on Red Lobster locations across the country to consume absurd quantities of shrimp.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • When things get too absurd or heavy, a one liner pops in and Olesen knows how to do the set up, and then, the mic drop.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Similarly, the spokesperson said OpenAI models used publicly available developer keys to read demographic and economic Census Bureau data, but that the company found no evidence of improper access to Census accounts.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • On June 29, a New Haven Superior Court jury found Stokes guilty of murder, criminal attempt to commit improper sale of a firearm, conspiracy to commit improper sale of a firearm and carrying a pistol or revolver without a permit.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of improper

Browse Nearby Words

unwisdom
unwise
unwisely
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Cite this Entry

“Unwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwise. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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