unwise

adjective

un·​wise ˌən-ˈwīz 

: lacking wisdom or good sense : foolish, imprudent

unwisely adverb

Synonyms

• absurd
• asinine
• balmy
• brainless
• bubbleheaded
• cockeyed
• crackpot
• crazy
• cuckoo
• daffy
• daft
• dippy
• dotty
• fatuous
• featherheaded
• fool
• foolish
• half-baked
• half-witted
• harebrained
• inept
• insane
• jerky
• kooky
• kookie
• loony
• looney
• lunatic
• lunkheaded
• mad
• nonsensical
• nutty
• preposterous
• sappy
• screwball
• senseless
• silly
• simpleminded
• stupid
• tomfool
• wacky
• whacky
• weak-minded
• witless
• zany

Examples of unwise in a Sentence

It would be unwise to buy a house now.

made the unwise decision to invest in a brand-new company

Recent Examples on the Web

Arizona’s desert may seem like an unwise location for a water-intensive industry. —Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024

Using your time here wisely is never an unwise thing to do. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2024

But politics prevailed and the politician/lawyer would run HHS, supporting unwise and scientifically dubious policies to deal with the COVID pandemic. —Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 19 Nov. 2024

The recognition afforded by a Nobel Prize entrenches ideas within the mainstream, even when those ideas are questionable or the scientific autocracy proves unwise. —James Broughel, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

unwise

adjective

un·​wise ˌən-ˈwīz 

ˈən-

: not wise : foolish

unwisely adverb