wise
Having good judgment
Knowing and understanding a lot, and making good decisions.
[someone] is wise
- She is wise beyond her years.
- It was wise to save some money for emergencies.
- A wise leader listens to all sides before deciding.
- He gave me some wise advice about my career.
- Choosing the safer route was a wise decision.
- My grandfather is a wise man.
- It is wise to eat healthy food.
- She made a wise choice to rest.
- He is wise because he reads a lot.
- That was a wise plan.
Aware or informed
Knowing about something that others might not know yet.
[someone] is wise to [something]
- She was wise to their plan to cheat.
- I'm wise to your little game.
- He quickly became wise to the fact that they were lying.
- They thought they could trick me, but I'm wise to it.
- The police are wise to the scam.
- I am wise to his joke.
- She is wise to their plan.
- He is wise to the trick.
- They are wise to the problem.
- We are wise to the danger.
Manner or respect
A way of thinking about or doing something, often shown by adding '-wise' to a word.
- Weather-wise, it's been a terrible week.
- Health-wise, he's doing much better now.
- Clockwise rotation moves in the same direction as a clock's hands.
- Performance-wise, the new model is far superior.
- Money-wise, we should be careful this month.
- Weather-wise, it is good today.
- Time-wise, we are late.
- Health-wise, she is fine.
- Clockwise means moving like a clock's hands.
- Price-wise, it is cheap.
- Base: wise
- Comparative: wiser
- Superlative: wisest
crack wise
1Make a witty joke or remark
To make a funny or clever comment, often in a sarcastic way.
- Stop cracking wise and get back to work.
- He’s always cracking wise during meetings.
none the wiser
1Still not understanding or knowing something
Not knowing or understanding anything more than before.
- I read the instructions but was none the wiser.
- He tried to explain it, but I'm still none the wiser.
penny-wise and pound-foolish
1Careful with small amounts but wasteful with large ones
Being careful about spending small amounts of money but wasting larger amounts carelessly.
- Not fixing the roof now would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.
- Cutting staff training might be penny-wise and pound-foolish in the long run.
street-wise
1Experienced with city life dangers
Knowing how to deal with difficult or dangerous situations in cities.
- She's street-wise after growing up in New York.
- You have to be street-wise if you want to live here safely.
wise up
1Become aware; stop being naive
To start understanding the truth about something, especially when someone has been trying to trick you.
- You need to wise up before you get hurt.
- She finally wised up and left the cheating boyfriend.
- It's time for them to wise up about how business works.