Standard Lemma guide

unwise

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ʌnˈwaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪz
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N W AY1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not wise; lacking wisdom

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • unwise man
  • unwise kings
  • unwise measures

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: injudicious, indiscreet, foolish, imprudent

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

not appropriate to the purpose

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inexpedient

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

showing or resulting from lack of judgment or wisdom

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an unwise investor is soon impoverished

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English unwis, from Old English unwīs (“unwise, foolish, ignorant, uninformed, insane”), equivalent to un- + wise. Cognate with Dutch onwijs (“unwise”), German unweise (“unwise”), Danish uvis (“unwise”), Swedish ovis (“unwise”), Icelandic óvís (“unwise”).

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неразу́мен (nerazúmen) — not wise
  • Catalan: imprudent — not wise
  • Czech: nemoudrý — not wise
  • Dutch: onverstandig — not wise
  • Esperanto: malsaĝa — not wise
  • German: unklug — not wise
  • Gothic: 𐌿𐌽𐍆𐍂𐍉𐌸𐍃 (unfrōþs) — not wise
  • Ancient Greek: ἄσοφος (ásophos) — not wise
  • Irish: neamhchríonna — not wise
  • Italian: imprudente — not wise
  • Italian: insipiente — not wise
  • Latin: imprudens — not wise
  • Latin: insipiens — not wise
  • Manx: neuchreeney — not wise
  • Manx: anchreeney — not wise
  • Manx: neuhushtagh — not wise
  • Māori: rorohuri — not wise
  • Māori: pokerenoa — not wise
  • Plautdietsch: onweis — not wise
  • Polish: nierozsądny — not wise
  • Portuguese: insensato — not wise
  • Russian: неразу́мный (nerazúmnyj) — not wise
  • Swedish: oklok — not wise
  • Ukrainian: нерозу́мний (nerozúmnyj) — not wise