What does "wise" mean?
Way, manner, or method.
Wise
/waɪz/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Way, manner, or method.
- Grammar: wise is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abstruse, acute, advantageous, advisable.
- Useful contrasts: foolish, ignorant, unwise.
- Usage evidence: It is not wise to put your money on a horse.
How to use "wise"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wise" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wise" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wise" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wise" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wise" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abstruse" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wise", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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
Verb
- 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
Adjective
- 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."
Adjective
- 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
Proper Noun
- 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.
Example
"It is not wise to put your money on a horse."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wise"?
Common synonyms include: abstruse, acute, advantageous, advisable, advisors, alert.
How do you use "wise" in a sentence?
It is not wise to put your money on a horse.
How do you pronounce "wise"?
Pronounced /waɪz/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
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.
Etymology 3
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”).