Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

worldly-wise

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of worldly-wise

having a wide and refined knowledge of the world especially from personal experience

  • her long career as a globe-trotting journalist has made her very worldly-wise
Synonyms of worldly-wise

cosmopolitan, smart, sophisticated, worldly
Words Related to worldly-wise

suave, urbane

civilized, cultivated, cultured, polished, refined

experienced, knowing, practiced, schooled, seasoned

bored, cynical, jaded, skeptical

down-to-earth, pragmatic (also pragmatical), realistic, sober
Near Antonyms of worldly-wise

callow, green, inexperienced, raw

parochial, provincial, rustic (also rustical)

philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, unrefined

childlike, simple, simpleminded

idealistic, impractical

uncritical, unknowing
Antonyms of worldly-wise

guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive (or naïve), unsophisticated, untutored, unworldly, wide-eyed

Synonym Discussion of worldly-wise

sophisticated, worldly-wise, blasé mean experienced in the ways of the world. sophisticated often implies refinement, urbanity, cleverness, and cultivation.
    • guests at her salon were usually rich and sophisticated
worldly-wise suggests a close and practical knowledge of the affairs and manners of society and an inclination toward materialism.
    • a worldly-wise woman with a philosophy of personal independence
blasé implies a lack of responsiveness to common joys as a result of a real or affected surfeit of experience and cultivation.
    • blasé travelers who claimed to have been everywhere

Learn More about worldly-wise

  1. See words that rhyme with worldly-wise Dictionary: Definition of worldly-wise

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up worldly-wise? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games