Wiseacre: meaning, definitions and examples

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wiseacre

 

[ หˆwaษชzหŒeษช.kษ™r ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

smart aleck

A wiseacre is a person who pretends to be knowledgeable or clever, often in a sarcastic or self-satisfied manner. They tend to show off their supposed intelligence, frequently to the annoyance of others.

Synonyms

know-it-all, smart aleck, smarty-pants, wise guy

Examples of usage

  • Don't be such a wiseacre; you don't know everything.
  • Her wiseacre comments in meetings often irritate her colleagues.
  • He's always trying to sound like a wiseacre with his flashy jokes.
  • The wiseacre in class thought he could outsmart the teacher.

Translations

Translations of the word "wiseacre" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น sรกbio

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฌเฅเคฆเฅเคงเคฟเคฎเคพเคจ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Schlaumeier

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ pintar

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะผัƒะดั€ะตั†ัŒ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ mฤ…dralinski

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ่ณขใ„ไบบ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท savant

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sabio

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท akฤฑllฤฑ

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์˜๋ฆฌํ•œ ์‚ฌ๋žŒ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุญูƒูŠู…

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ moudrรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ mรบdry

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ่ชๆ˜Ž็š„ไบบ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ modri

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ vitur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฐา›ั‹ะปะดั‹

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒญแƒ™แƒ•แƒ˜แƒแƒœแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ aฤŸฤฑllฤฑ

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ sabio

Word origin

The term 'wiseacre' originated in the 16th century, deriving from the Middle Dutch word 'wijshec', which means 'wise' or 'learned'. The term has originally been used to describe someone who claimed wisdom but often lacked genuine understanding. Over the years, the connotation of the word shifted from just denoting a wise individual to one who exhibits pretentiousness or sarcasm in their wisdom. It became commonly used in English to refer to individuals who, by virtue of their attitude or remarks, appear to overestimate their intelligence or knowledge, particularly in informal settings. Today, a wiseacre is often characterized by a humorous yet annoying demeanor, acting as if they possess superior wisdom even when they do not.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #39,763, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.