Meanings
comparative unwiser · superlative unwisest
- Not wise; lacking wisdom
unwise man
4 more examples
unwise kings
unwise measures
If the kind of network we envisage is to be established, it would be unwise to begin any of its services hurriedly with older stock, which, however admirable in its day, now has an air of faded Edwardian splendour that is out of joint with the times.
1962 December, “A new Pullman era?”, in Modern Railways, page 362Their use was “impermissible not because it is unwise or ineffective, but because [federal law]^([sic]) does not allow it”, the decision explained.
2025 May 29, Kalyeena Makortoff, “US federal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs”, in The Guardian, →ISSNSynonyms: injudicious, indiscreet, foolish, imprudent, mad
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveNot wise; lacking wisdom
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveshowing or resulting from lack of judgment or wisdom
adjectivenot appropriate to the purpose
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishunwīs“unwise, foolish, ignorant, uninformed, insane”
- Middle Englishunwis
- Englishunwise
From Middle English unwis, from Old English unwīs (“unwise, foolish, ignorant, uninformed, insane”), equivalent to un- + wise. Cognate with Dutch onwijs (“unwise”), German unweise (“unwise”), Danish uvis (“unwise”), Swedish ovis (“unwise”), Icelandic óvís (“unwise”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἄσοφος
- ἄσοφος (ásophos)not wise
Bulgarian неразу́мен
- неразу́мен (nerazúmen)not wise
Catalan imprudent
- imprudentnot wise
Czech nemoudrý
- nemoudrýnot wise
Dutch onverstandig
- onverstandignot wise
Esperanto malsaĝa
- malsaĝanot wise
Finnish epäviisas
- epäviisasnot wise
German unklug
- unklugnot wise
Irish neamhchríonna
- neamhchríonnanot wise
Italian imprudente, insipiente
- imprudentenot wise
- insipientenot wise
Latin imprudens, insipiens
- imprudensnot wise
- insipiensnot wise
Māori rorohuri, pokerenoa
- rorohurinot wise
- pokerenoanot wise
Polish nierozsądny
- nierozsądnynot wise
Portuguese insensato
- insensatonot wise
Russian неразу́мный
- неразу́мный (nerazúmnyj)not wise
Swedish oklok
- okloknot wise
Ukrainian нерозу́мний
- нерозу́мний (nerozúmnyj)not wise
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with unwise
Cite this entry
unwise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unwise
“unwise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unwise. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unwise,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unwise.
Source: unwise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.