Word
wise
US/ˈwaɪz/
UK/wˈaɪz/
Definitions
01showing good judgment
B1 · Intermediate
adj. having or showing good judgment and the ability to make right decisions based on experience.
adj. possessing or exhibiting sound judgment and discernment, typically derived from experience and reflection.
“It was a wise decision to save some money for emergencies.”
“The elder's wise counsel prevented the community from making a hasty decision that would have had long-term negative consequences.”
02disrespectful or rude
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. acting in a way that is rude or shows a lack of respect, often by trying to seem too clever.
adj. exhibiting an insolent or impudent attitude; often used in the phrase 'get wise with someone'.
“Don't get wise with me, or you will be in big trouble.”
“The student's wise remarks during the lecture eventually exhausted the professor's patience, leading to a formal reprimand.”
Antonyms
03aware of something
C1 · Advanced Informal
adj. knowing about something, especially a secret or a trick.
adj. possessing knowledge or awareness of a particular fact or situation, often used with the preposition 'to'.
“The police were already wise to the gang's plan to rob the bank.”
“By the time the marketing campaign launched, the public was already wise to the company's deceptive pricing strategies.”
Usage
Commonly follows the pattern 'wise to [something]'.
04to become informed
B2 · Upper Intermediate Slang
v. to learn the truth about a situation or to stop being tricked.
v. to become aware of or informed about a situation, typically used in the phrasal verb 'wise up'.
“You need to wise up and realize that he is just using you.”
“The administration finally wised up to the fact that their outdated software was causing significant security vulnerabilities.”
Usage
Almost exclusively used as the phrasal verb 'wise up'.
05way or manner
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary
n. the way or method of doing something.
n. the manner, way, or respect in which something happens or is done.
“The story begins in this wise: a young man leaves his home to find adventure.”
“The ancient chronicles describe the coronation in this wise, detailing every ritual performed by the high priests.”
Teaching tip
In modern English, this sense survives mainly in suffixes like 'clockwise' or 'otherwise' rather than as a standalone noun.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wise” in context.
Verb
01. be wise to
“The police are wise to their tricks and have increased patrols in the area.”
adj + prep
02. consider wise
“Most experts consider it wise to save at least ten percent of your income.”
verb + adj
03. deem wise
“The board did not deem it wise to invest in the project at this stage.”
verb + adj
04. wise up
“He needs to wise up and realize that they are just using him for his money.”
adj + prep
Adjective
05. street wise
“Growing up in the city made him street wise and able to handle difficult situations.”
noun + adj
06. worldly wise
“She is very worldly wise for her age and understands how the industry works.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. wise choice
“Buying a smaller car turned out to be a very wise choice for their budget.”
adj + noun
08. wise investment
“Education is always a wise investment in your future career prospects.”
adj + noun
09. a word to the wise
“A word to the wise: make sure you check the contract before signing anything.”
10. get wise to something
“Consumers are finally getting wise to the hidden costs of these subscriptions.”
11. none the wiser
“I replaced the broken vase and my parents were none the wiser.”
Real-World Examples
“It would be wise not to read too much into one election result in one quite particular German state.” “As a country, we’d be wise to learn that.” 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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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