unwise

English

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈwaɪz/

  • Audio (RP)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪz

Adjective

unwise (comparative unwiser, superlative unwisest)

1. Not wise; lacking wisdom
   • 1962 December, “A new Pullman era?”, in Modern Railways, page 362:

     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.

   Synonyms: injudicious, indiscreet, foolish

   unwise man

   unwise kings

   unwise measures

Antonyms

• wise

Derived terms

• unwiseness

Translations

not wise

• Catalan: imprudent
• Czech: nemoudrý m
• Dutch: onverstandig (nl)
• German: unklug
• Gothic: 𐌿𐌽𐍆𐍂𐍉𐌸𐍃 (unfrōþs)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἄσοφος (ásophos)

• Irish: neamhchríonna

• Italian: imprudente (it), insipiente (it)
• Latin: imprudens
• Manx: neuchreeney, anchreeney, neuhushtagh
• Plautdietsch: onweis
• Polish: nierozsądny (pl)
• Portuguese: insensato (pt)
• Russian: неразу́мный (ru) (nerazúmnyj)
• Ukrainian: нерозу́мний (nerozúmnyj)