wise

¹

[wahyz]

adjective

wiser, wisest 

1. having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.

   Synonyms: intelligent, sagacious, sensible, sage

2. characterized by or showing such power; judicious or prudent.

   a wise decision.

   Antonyms: foolish

3. possessed of or characterized by scholarly knowledge or learning; learned; erudite.

   wise in the law.

4. having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances, etc..

   We are wiser for their explanations.

5. Slang.,  informed; in the know.

   You're wise, so why not give us the lowdown?

6. Archaic.,  having knowledge of magic or witchcraft.

verb (used with object)

wised, wising 

1. Slang.,  to make wise or aware.

   I'll wise you, kid.

verb phrase

1. wise up,  to make or become aware of a secret or generally unknown fact, situation, attitude, etc..

   They wised him up on how to please the boss.

   She never wised up to the fact that the joke was on her.

wise

²

[wahyz]

noun

1. way of proceeding or considering; manner; fashion (usually used in combination or in certain phrases).

   otherwise;

   in any wise;

   in no wise.

wise

³

[wahyz]

verb (used with object)

wised, wising 

1. Chiefly Scot.

   1. to instruct.

   2. to induce or advise.

   3. to show the way to; guide.

2. Scot.,  to direct the course of; cause to turn.

Wise

⁴

[wahyz]

noun

1. Isaac Mayer 1819–1900, U.S. rabbi and educator, born in Bohemia: founder of Reform Judaism in the U.S.

2. Stephen Samuel, 1874–1949, U.S. rabbi, theologian, and Zionist leader; born in Hungary.

-wise

⁵

1. a suffixal use of wise in adverbs denoting manner, position, direction, reference, etc..

   counterclockwise; edgewise; marketwise; timewise.

wise

¹

/ waɪz /

adjective

1. possessing, showing, or prompted by wisdom or discernment

2. prudent; sensible

3. shrewd; crafty

   a wise plan

4. well-informed; erudite

5. aware, informed, or knowing (esp in the phrase none the wiser )

6. slang,  in the know, esp possessing inside information (about)

7. archaic,  possessing powers of magic

8. slang,  cocksure or insolent

9. informal,  (often foll by to) to be or become aware or informed (of something) or to face up (to facts)

10. slang,  (often foll by to) to inform or warn (of)

verb

1. See wise up

-wise

²

combining form

1. Also: -ways. indicating direction or manner

   clockwise

   likewise

2. with reference to

   profitwise

   businesswise

wise

³

/ waɪz /

noun

1. archaic,  way, manner, fashion, or respect (esp in the phrases any wise, in no wise )

Confusables Note

The suffix -wise is old in the language in adverbs referring to manner, direction, etc.: crosswise; lengthwise. Coinages like marketwise, saleswise, and weatherwise are often criticized, perhaps because of their association with the media: Otherwise—or moneywise, as they were already saying in the motion-picture industry—Hollywood was at the crest of its supercolossal glory. This suffix should not be confused with the adjective wise1 , which appears in such compound words as streetwise and worldly-wise.

Other Word Forms

• wiseness noun
• wisely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of wise¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wis(e), Old English wīs; cognate with Dutch wijs, German weise, Old Norse vīss, Gothic (un)weis “ignorant, unlearned”; akin to wit ¹, wit ²

Origin of wise²

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English: “way, manner; style, melody”; cognate with Dutch wijze, German Weise “tune, melody; (figurative) manner, way,” Old Norse vīsa “verse, stanza, short poem,” Danish vise “ballad”; akin to Greek eîdos (from weîdos ) “form, shape”

Origin of wise³

First recorded before 900; Middle English wisen, “to advise, reveal, guide,” Old English wīsian “to show the way, guide, direct,” akin to wīs wise ¹; cognate with Old High German wīsan, Old Norse vīsa “to point out, indicate”

Word History and Origins

Origin of wise¹

Old English wīs ; related to Old Norse vīss, Gothic weis, German weise

Origin of wise²

Old English -wisan; see _wise ²

Origin of wise³

Old English wīse manner; related to Old Saxon wīsa, German Weise, Old Norse vīsa verse, Latin vīsus face

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get wise,

   1. to become informed.

   2. to be or become presumptuous or impertinent.

      Don't get wise with me, young man!

2. wise to, familiar or aware; cognizant of; no longer deceived by a lie, confidence game, trick, or misdirection: Also beget wise to

   In the end, the investors were wise to the fraud.

3. put / set someone wise, to inform a person; let a person in on a secret or generally unknown fact.

   Some of the others put him wise to what was going on.

More idioms and phrases containing wise

• get wise to
• none the wiser
• penny wise and pound foolish
• put wise
• sadder but wiser
• word to the wise

Example Sentences

That's still a wise mindset when thinking about how the rest of this group might pan out - confidence laced with caution, positivity laced with prudence.

From BBC

I met good women, all intelligent, kind, loving and wise.

From Los Angeles Times

John Healey refused to give details, despite being pressed, "because that will only make Putin wiser."

From BBC

That plea may be wise, as while The Paper will inevitably be compared to its predecessor, the creators and cast seem determined to carve out something distinct.

From BBC

Instead of “fighting fire with fire,” and declaring wars that they can’t actually wage for another three years — in the 2028 presidential campaign, that is — they’d be wise to devise such a plan.

From Salon

Related Words

• astute 
• aware 
• careful 
• educated 
• enlightened 
• experienced 
• informed 
• judicious 
• knowledgeable 
• perceptive 
• prudent 
• rational 
• sagacious 
• sane 
• sensible 
• smart 
• thoughtful 
• wary 
• well-informed 

When To Use

What does -wise mean?

The suffix -wise meaning “direction” or "a way of doing." It is occasionally used in a variety of everyday terms, particularly to indicate a movement.The form -wise comes from Old English wíse, meaning “way, manner; style, melody.” Yes, melody. Discover why at our entry for the related term verse.