Standard Lemma guide
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
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.
noun
One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who is wisecracking; an insolent upstart.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Buddha, clever clogs, clever dick, know-all, know-it-all, smart aleck, smart ass, smarty, smarty pants, wiseacre, wiseass, wise-ass, wisenheimer
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A learned or wise man.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To act like a wiseacre; to wisecrack.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
an upstart who makes conceited, sardonic, insolent comments
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: wise guy, smart aleck, wisenheimer, weisenheimer
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: upstart
History
From Middle Dutch wijssegger (“soothsayer”), from Old High German wīzzago, wīzago (“wise man, prophet, soothsayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wītagō (“wise one; prophet”). Cognate with Old English wītga (“wise man, prophet”). See also German Weissager (“soothsayer, seer”).
Across languages
15 source translations are retained for this English entry.
