1
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
made the unwise decision to invest in a brand-new company
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations
an unwise urge to confide in total strangers
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3
as in stupid
not having or showing a deep understanding of something
a stunningly unwise observer of the political scene
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unwise
The next Colombian administration would be unwise to advocate for a mere return to the status quo ante, which Trump clearly views as having benefited Colombia more than the United States.
—
Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Ending dual citizenship would also be economically unwise.
—Raul A. Reyes, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Having one person taking the lead in talking to Putin and someone else talking to the Ukrainians is unwise.
—Michael McFaul, Time, 7 Dec. 2025
Airstrikes would be unwise, let alone an invasion.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwise
Adjective
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To do a lot less foolish, thoughtless, stupid, idiotic things.—
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No one should be defending activists who engage in the most foolish and dangerous actions!—
Adjective
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What readers are saying The comments largely focus on the need for the boyfriend to set boundaries with his sister, who exhibits possessive and inappropriate behavior.—
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The judge seemed to express skepticism toward the defense's argument that officers recovering Mangione's backpack and taking it to the station for examination was inappropriate.—
Adjective
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In tribute to Michael Keane’s hair-pulling on Wednesday, Cerys Jones picked through the stupidest dismissals in Premier League history.—
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To do a lot less foolish, thoughtless, stupid, idiotic things.—
Adjective
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To say the road to the Super Bowl goes through Jacksonville sounds silly in the NFL’s grand scheme, but for a talented and decorated Bills group that never has won there, that’s the first stop on the quest.—
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Citing the Monroe Doctrine is silly.—
Adjective
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Additional charges included negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.—
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Systemic risk: The combination of low interest rates and an expanding economy encourages speculation and imprudent risk taking.—
Adjective
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As Legally Blonde's Elle Woods, Witherspoon charted a memorable path from dumb blonde to Harvard Law School graduate.—
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Celebrities fight it out to be eliminated from the competition as quickly as possible to avoid being crowned the nation’s dumbest.—
Adjective
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After the first Roundtable, Survivor stalwart Rob Cesternino — perhaps clued in by Candiace’s absurd conga line ploy to get people out of the kitchen — sniffed out that a murder in plain sight could be happening.—
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Contrary to what many may think, the researchers found no correlation between a person’s level of education and their capacity to believe in absurd conspiracies.—
Adjective
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Typically, the inspector general investigates schemes defrauding Medicare, improper payments -- such as to insurance companies to cover Medicaid members who had died -- and whether states are doing adequate oversight of providers in their borders.—
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Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg is also looking into the issue, initially identifying nearly 1,000 potentially improper PPP loans involving city employees.—
Cite this Entry
“Unwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwise. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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