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
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
wised; wising
: to become informed or knowledgeable : learn
—used with up
: to give instruction or information to : teach
—usually used with up
wise him up about procedures
wised; wising
-wise
5 of 5adverb 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
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
Chad De Guzman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
How did things stand game-wise on original Hina?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Search, cloud, AI, and autonomous giant Baidu gained nearly 21% this week, breaking a lackluster performance period for the company’s stock as investors appear to be wising up to its AI prowess.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wise
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Advertisement Policy-wise, in 2024, courts ruled that LGBT spouses were eligible for benefits from state health insurance.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
How did things stand game-wise on original Hina?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
But the speculation gets very difficult when the buzzy companies with red-hot shares wise up and start offering stock in institutional-sized pieces when they have been bid up by retail buying.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Search, cloud, AI, and autonomous giant Baidu gained nearly 21% this week, breaking a lackluster performance period for the company’s stock as investors appear to be wising up to its AI prowess.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wise
Cite this Entry
“Wise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wise. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wise
1 of 4 noun
: manner sense 2b
—used in such phrases as in any wise, in no wise, in this wise
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 formˌwīz
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
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Thomas James 1859–1937 English bibliophile and forger
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