wise

1 of 5

adjective

ˈwīz 

wiser; wisest

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

wisely adverb

wiseness noun

wise

2 of 5

verb (1)

wised; wising

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

3 of 5

noun

: manner, way

in any wise

Old age seemed in no wise to have dulled him, but to have sharpened …

—Herman Melville

wise

4 of 5

verb (2)

wised; wising

transitive verb

1

chiefly Scotland

a

: direct, guide

b

: advise, persuade

2

chiefly Scotland : to divert or impel in a given direction : send

-wise

5 of 5

adverb combining form

1

a

: in the manner of

crabwise

fanwise

b

: in the position or direction of

slantwise

clockwise

2

: with regard to : in respect of

dollarwise

Synonyms

Adjective

• discerning
• insightful
• perceptive
• prudent
• sagacious
• sage
• sapient

Verb (1)

• acquaint
• advise
• apprise
• brief
• catch up
• clear
• clue (in)
• enlighten
• familiarize
• fill in
• hip
• inform
• instruct
• tell
• verse

Choose the Right Synonym for wise

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.

wised him up to some of the more effective tricks of salesmanship

she eventually wised up to the fact that he was taking advantage of her

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Actresses Viola Davis, Jada Pinkett Smith, and twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowery showcase not only wise words to give to their children, but how to express themselves authentically with grace. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 10 May 2024

Noa narrowly survives the attack and makes the trek to the coast in order to rescue his loved ones, before encountering a wise orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon). —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024

Steve was a great friend – wise, kind and generous. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2024

Some 40 years after the first Beverly Hills Cop, these characters are older but not necessarily wiser. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 9 May 2024

Talati’s feature is sensual, not salacious, and wise about generational jealousies and the emotional (and at times damaging) tug-of-war between a mother and daughter. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024

Death presents itself as a talking bird, whose wise words aim to prepare Zora for what’s next. —Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024

The ol’ wise one enjoys guiding the Honkmobile on a ribbon of pristine black asphalt, with white lane lines glistening. —Jim Radcliffe, Orange County Register, 3 May 2024

While many have made a similar (wise) choice, McKellar’s decision was based on something fairly unique—Christmas movies. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2024

Verb

When the unthinkable happens, there’s beauty, not shame, in growing up, wising up and finding new ways to think. —Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024

Apps are slowly but surely wising up to the idea that initial conversations people have can significantly shape the trajectory of their relationship. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

In the meantime, however, regulators are wising up to the fact that blockchains are creating a new frontier for policing. —Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 16 Aug. 2023

As such, brands across all sectors are wising up to the importance of this generation, and rapidly changing their marketing strategies. —Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023

View Photos Now, other magazines might be content to wring their hands and pose rhetorical questions about when the dopes buying SUVs will wise up and discover the virtues of the wagon, but not this one. —Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 15 July 2023

Speaking out The world is starting to wise up, though, according to Kate Griggs, a dyslexic mother of two dyslexic children who is now CEO of Made by Dyslexia, a nonprofit that aims to educate the public and teachers about learning disabilities. —Victoria Clayton, Washington Post, 12 June 2023

Many items are already beginning to sell out, and so word to wise: make your selection ASAP! —Sophie Dweck, townandcountrymag.com, 3 June 2023

Seattle's Ron Francis didn't have that luxury because rival GMs had wised up. —Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English wis, from Old English wīs; akin to Old High German wīs wise, Old English witan to know — more at wit

Noun

Middle English, from Old English wīse; akin to Old High German wīsa manner, Greek eidos form, idein to see — more at wit

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English wīsian; akin to Old Norse vīsa to show the way, Old English wīs wise

Adverb combining form

Middle English, from Old English -wīsan, from wīse manner

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

1905, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing wise

• a word to the wise
• crack wise
• got wise to
• in no wise
• penny-wise
• penny-wise and/but pound-foolish
• put/make (someone) wise to
• weather-wise
• wise guy
• wise in the ways of
• wise man
• wise to
• worldly wise

Kids Definition

wise

1 of 4 noun

ˈwīz 

: manner sense 2b

—used in such phrases as in any wise, in no wise, in this wise

wise

2 of 4 adjective

wiser; wisest

1

: having or showing wisdom, good sense, or good judgment : sensible

a wise person

a wise investment

2

: having special or secret information : informed

I was wise to their plans

3

: boldly rude or disrespectful : impudent

wisely adverb

wise

3 of 4 verb

wised; wising

: to make or become informed or smart

—used with up

wise up if you want to get ahead

-wise

4 of 4 adverb combining form

ˌwīz

1

a

: in the manner of

b

: in the position or direction of

slantwise

clockwise

2

: with regard to : in respect of

Etymology

Noun

Old English wīse "way, manner"

Adjective

Old English wīs "showing good judgment or intelligence"

Adverb combining form

derived from Old English wīse "manner"

Biographical Definition

Wise 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈwīz 

Stephen Samuel 1874–1949 American (Hungarian-born) rabbi

Wise

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Thomas James 1859–1937 English bibliophile and forger