Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 N‑VAR Wisdom is the store of knowledge that a society or culture has collected over a long period of time. □  …this church's original Semitic wisdom, religion and faith.

3 N‑SING If you talk about the wisdom of a particular decision or action, you are talking about how sensible it is. □ [+ of ] Many Lithuanians have expressed doubts about the wisdom of the decision.

4 N‑VAR You can use wisdom to refer to ideas that are accepted by a large number of people. □  Health education wisdom in the U.K. differs from that of the United States. □  Unchallenged wisdoms flow swiftly among the middle classes. ● PHRASE The conventional wisdom about something is the generally accepted view of it. □  …the conventional wisdom that soccer is a minor sport in America.

wi s|dom tooth (wisdom teeth ) N‑COUNT Your wisdom teeth are the four large teeth at the back of your mouth which usually grow much later than your other teeth.

wise ◆◇◇ /wa I z/ (wises , wising , wised , wiser , wisest )

1 ADJ A wise person is able to use their experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions and judgments. □  She has the air of a wise woman. ●  wise|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  The three of us stood around the machine nodding wisely.

2 ADJ A wise action or decision is sensible. □  She had made a very wise decision. □  It is wise to seek help and counsel as soon as possible. ●  wise|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □  They've invested their money wisely. □  Our man had wisely decided to be picked up at the farm.

3 PHRASE If you get wise to something, you find out about it, especially when someone has been trying to keep it secret. [INFORMAL ] □  Dealers have already got wise to the trend and increased their prices accordingly.

▸  wise up PHRASAL VERB If someone wises up to a situation or state of affairs, they become aware of it and take appropriate action. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P + to ] Some insurers have wised up to the fact that their clients were getting very cheap insurance. □ [V P ] It's time to wise up and tell those around you that enough is enough.

-wise /-wa I z/

1 COMB -wise is added to nouns to form adverbs indicating that something is the case when considering the particular thing mentioned. □  Career-wise, this illness couldn't have come at a worse time. □  It was a much better day weather-wise.

2 COMB [ADV after v] -wise is added to nouns to form adverbs indicating that someone behaves in the same way as the person or thing that is mentioned. □  We were housed student-wise in dormitory rooms.

wise|crack /wa I zkræk/ (wisecracks ) N‑COUNT A wisecrack is a clever remark that is intended to be amusing, but is often rather unkind.

wise|crack|ing /wa I zkræk I ŋ/ also wise-cracking ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use wisecracking to describe someone who keeps making wisecracks. □  …a wisecracking private eye.

wi se guy (wise guys ) also wiseguy

1 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a wise guy , you dislike the fact that they think they are very clever and always have an answer for everything. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

2 N‑COUNT A wise guy is a member of the Mafia. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ]

wish ◆◆◇ /w I ʃ/ (wishes , wishing , wished )

1 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] A wish is a desire or strong feeling that you want to have something or do something. □ [+ for ] Clearly she had no wish for conversation. □  She wanted to go everywhere in the world. She soon got her wish. □ [+ of ] The decision was made against the wishes of the party leader.

2 → see also death wish