I. ˈwīz noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wīse manner, melody; akin to Old High German wīsa manner, style, tune, Old Norse vīsa stanza, öthru vīs otherwise, Greek eidos appearance, form, kind, idein to see — more at wit
: manner , way
the house differed in no wise from its neighbors — Maurice Samuel
— often used in combination
like wise
other wise
II. adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English wise, wis, wys, from Old English wīs wise, knowing; akin to Old High German wīs wise, Old Norse vīss, Gothic un weis unknowing, Old English witan to know — more at wit
1.
a.
(1) : characterized by wisdom : sage , sagacious
the wise man and teacher of the tribe — Nancy K. Hosking
men may be wise … though their fund of knowledge is small — S.H.Slichter
(2) : all-wise
which the wise powers deny us for our good — Shakespeare
b.
(1) : well informed or instructed : knowledgeable
a portion of reading quite indispensable to a wise man — R.W.Emerson
grew up … wise in plants, wild animals, and the habits of their own goats and sheep — T.E.Lawrence
(2) : showing instinctive wisdom
these dogs are bred … as rugged individuals each wise in his own nose — D.C.Peattie
c. : exercising sound judgment : judicious , prudent
conservation and wise use of resources can make a wealthy people in a lonely land — H.W.Odum
wise handling of a situation
a wise investment
2. archaic : mentally sound : sane
3.
a. : evidencing or hinting at the possession of inside information : knowing
when questioned about the indicent he looked wise but refused to talk
the wise money was ten to one
b. : possessed of inside information : alert
unless they're wise to the slow, steady creep of the tide, they'll be in up to their hubcaps before they realize it — J.W.Noble
able to sneak it in without the MPs getting wise — James Jones
old timers put him wise to the tricks of cardsharpers
c. : shrewdly resourceful : crafty , smart
4. archaic : skilled in magic or divination
5. : insolent , smart-alecky , fresh
a bunch of wise kids throwing snowballs at buses
Synonyms:
sage , sapient , judicious , prudent , sensible , sane : wise indicates discernment based not only on factual knowledge but on judgment and insight
wise men … anticipate possible difficulties, and decide beforehand what they will do if occasions arise — J.A.Froude
she was also wise beyond her years, and she knew that when he no longer needed her advice he would dispense with her — Harrison Smith
sage is used interchangeably with wise but may also suggest venerability
the sage enchanter Merlin's subtle schemes — William Wordsworth
her sage plan to make the family feel her worth, and to conquer the members of it one by one — George Meredith
sapient may imply a canny shrewdness rather than profound wisdom
the sapient leader who shall bring order out of the wild misrule — V.L.Parrington
a sapient, instructed, shrewdly ascertaining ignorance — Walter Pater
judicious suggests judgment that is fair, level-headed, sound, and wise
it is not judicious, unbiased, academic; it is passionate, biased and provocative — H.L.Matthews
with judicious officers the most unruly seamen can at sea be kept in some sort of subjection — Herman Melville
prudent suggests exercise of the restraint of sound practical wisdom and discretion to avoid anything rash or ill-advised
too prudent to say or hint anything which could create a suspicion in her colleague's breast — Anthony Trollope
in the pursuit of pleasure, as in the purchase of securities, the prudent Southern gentleman has always preferred safety to hazard — Ellen Glasgow
sensible describes action according to good sense and accustomed rationality
let us, like sensible men, choose the lesser evil — John Strachey
any sensible doctor when stricken by disease distrusts his own introspective diagnosis and calls in a colleague — C.K.Ogden & I.A.Richards
sane , usually contrasted with insane, indicates mental soundness, rationality, and level-headedness without wild quirks or deep derangements
I am no lunatic in a mad fit, but a sane man fighting for his soul — Bram Stoker
praise all their wares in terms so extravagant that a sane buyer is instantly steeled against believing even that percentage of these praises which may perhaps be true — C.E.Montague
III. noun
( plural wise )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wīsa, from wīs wise
: wise man , sage — usually used in plural
a word to the wise is sufficient
books … by the wise of other days — V.L.Parrington
IV. adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from wise (II)
archaic : wisely
V. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: wise (II)
transitive verb
: to supply with information : make wise
I'll wise you. You've been bilked — McClure's
— usually used with up
think their talent will flower magically if they are wised up to a few tricks of the trade — Jan Peerce
intransitive verb
: to become informed or knowledgeable : get hep : learn — used with up
you can wise up on details … by reading a booklet — Kiplinger Washington Letter
people are wising up … to the fact that they have been deprived of a lot of good music — Wall Street Journal
VI. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English wisen, from Old English wīsian; akin to Old High German wīsen to show the way, Old Norse vīsa, Gothic fulla weisjan to persuade; all from a prehistoric Germanic adjective represented by Old English wīs wise, knowing
1. chiefly Scotland
a. : to show (a person) the way : direct , guide
b. : advise , persuade
took me by the hand, and wised me to go back — John Galt
2. chiefly Scotland : to divert or impel in a given direction : send , turn
fish rushed … before him, as he quietly wised them shoreward — J.K.Hunter