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Synonyms

wise guy

American  

noun

  1. Informal. a cocksure, conceited, and often insolent person; smart aleck.

    He has a reputation for being a wise guy.
wise guy British  

noun

  1. informal a person who is given to making conceited, sardonic, or insolent comments

  2. a member of the Mafia

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
wise guy Idioms  

  1. An obnoxious know-it-all, a person who makes sarcastic or annoying remarks, as in the teacher was delighted that the worst wise guy in the class was moving out of town. [Slang; second half of 1800s] Also see smart aleck.

Other Word Forms

  • wise-guy adjective

Etymology

Origin of wise guy

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“You wouldn’t hire a wise guy, you wouldn’t hire a made man, like a mobster, to work in a DA’s office.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2024

In 2012, McGrath won the Tony for best actor in a featured musical role playing wise guy Cookie McGee in “Nice Work If You Can Get It” starring Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2023

Locke has Charlie’s gentle deportment but with the soft edge of a cool-kid wise guy.

From New York Times • Jul. 29, 2023

“So does Jones get the tackle credit too,” one wise guy posted in a comment on YouTube.

From Washington Times • Mar. 31, 2021

“What is this wise guy role you’ve been playing?”

From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.