Meanings
comparative more streetwise · superlative most streetwise · alternative street-wise
- Having the necessary knack, personality and instinct for survival in rough, urban environments.
Where's the streetwise Hercules / to fight the rising odds?
1986, Bonnie Tyler, “Holding Out for a Hero”, in Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire - USPossessing a style that reflects urban life and microculture.
You could tell from the way he spat old Tupac lyrics, loitering in the corner with his homies, flipping that Yankees cap on his head like he couldn't give a damn that he was streetwise enough to melt Will Smith.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivehaving the shrewd resourcefulness needed to survive in an urban environment
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Polish cwany, obrotny
- cwanyTranslations
- obrotnyTranslations
- zaradnyTranslations
Spanish canchero
- cancheroTranslations
Cite this entry
streetwise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/streetwise
“streetwise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/streetwise. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “streetwise,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/streetwise.
Source: streetwise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.