Home / Dictionary / Wise

Wise Very Common

Wise has 14 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Adjective · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a way of doing or being

"in no wise"

"in this wise"

2

United States Jewish leader (born in Hungary) (1874-1949)

"The community gathered to honor Rabbi Wise, whose leadership during those turbulent years guided so many families."

3

United States religious leader (born in Bohemia) who united reform Jewish organizations in the United States (1819-1900)

"The historical text mentions that Moses Wise was a prominent American rabbi who played a key role in uniting Reform Judaism."

4

Way, manner, method.

"The drone manufacturer chose the WISE acronym to stand for their new wing-in-surface effect technology that allows flight just above water without a hull."

5

Acronym of wing-in-surface effect.

In plain English: A wise person is someone who has good judgment and knows how to make smart choices based on experience.

"The old man shared some wise words about life before he left the room."

Verb
1

To become wise.

"The wise teacher patiently explained the complex math problem to her struggling student until he finally understood it."

2

To instruct.

In plain English: To be wise means to show good judgment by making smart choices.

"The old computer program is wise enough to avoid crashing when the file size gets too large."

Adjective
1

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

"a wise leader"

"a wise and perceptive comment"

2

marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters

"judicious use of one's money"

"a wise decision"

3

evidencing the possession of inside information

"The trader seemed wise to the market crash before anyone else knew about it."

4

improperly forward or bold

"don't be fresh with me"

"impertinent of a child to lecture a grownup"

"an impudent boy given to insulting strangers"

"Don't get wise with me!"

5

Showing good judgement or the benefit of experience.

"After years of managing small businesses, she has learned to be wise about when to take risks and when to play it safe."

In plain English: Wise means having good judgment and knowing what to do because you have learned from experience.

"He is wise enough to know when to stop talking."

Usage: Use wise to describe someone who makes sound decisions based on life experience rather than just intelligence. It often functions as an adjective meaning prudent, such as in the phrase "be wise enough to wait."

Proper Noun
1

A surname​.

"The astronomer adjusted the settings on WISE to capture detailed infrared data from distant galaxies."

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)

Example Sentences
"He is wise enough to know when to stop talking." adj
"The old man shared some wise words about life before he left the room." noun
"The old computer program is wise enough to avoid crashing when the file size gets too large." verb
See Also
well-advised prudent politic advisable virginia unthinker induce kashikoi
Related Terms
Antonyms
foolish
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
manner

Origin

The word "wise" comes directly from Old English, where it originally meant having knowledge or understanding. It traveled into modern English unchanged, retaining its core meaning of being smart or experienced.

Rhyming Words
ise fise rise gise bise oise lise mise sise vise hoise avise moise prise anise raise paise brise poise scise
Compare
Wise vs