Wise
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Definitions
- 1 Way, manner, or method. archaic
"In such wise that all the beasts, great and small, came to the court save Reynard the Fox."
- 2 Acronym of wing-in-surface effect. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 a way of doing or being wordnet
- 1 To become wise.
- 2 To instruct. dialectal
- 3 Usually with "up", to inform or learn. ergative, slang
"Mo wised him up about his situation."
- 4 To advise; induce. dialectal
- 5 To show the way, guide. dialectal
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To direct the course of, pilot. dialectal
- 7 To cause to turn. dialectal
- 1 Showing good judgement or the benefit of experience.
"Storing extra food for the winter was a wise decision."
- 2 Disrespectful. colloquial, ironic, sarcastic
"Don't get wise with me!"
- 3 Aware, informed (to something). colloquial
"Be careful: the boss is wise to your plan to call out sick."
- 1 improperly forward or bold wordnet
- 2 evidencing the possession of inside information wordnet
- 3 marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters wordnet
- 4 having or prompted by wisdom or discernment wordnet
- 1 A surname.
- 2 Acronym of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (“a NASA infrared-wavelength astronomical space telescope that performed an all-sky astronomical survey with images in 3-22 μm wavelength bands”). US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 A township in Isabella County, Michigan, United States.
- 4 An unincorporated community in Warren County, North Carolina, United States.
- 5 A town, the county seat of Wise County, Virginia, United States.
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"It is not wise to put your money on a horse."
Etymology
From Middle English wis, wys, from Old English wīs (“wise”), from Proto-Germanic *wīsaz (“wise”), from Proto-Indo-European *weydstos, *weydtos, a participle form of *weyd-. Cognate with Dutch wijs, German weise, Norwegian vis and Swedish vis. Compare wit.
From Middle English wise, from Old English wīse, from Proto-Germanic *wīsō. Cognate with Dutch wijze, German Weise, Norwegian vis, Swedish visa, vis, Italian guisa, Spanish guisa. Compare -wise. Doublet of guise.
From Middle English wisen (“to advise, direct”), from Old English wisian (“to show the way, guide, direct”), from Proto-West Germanic *wīsōn, from Proto-Germanic *wīsōną (“to show the way, dispense knowledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know”). Compare Dutch wijzen (“to indicate, point out”), German weisen (“to show, indicate”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål vise (“to show”), Norwegian Nynorsk visa (“to show”).