wisecrack

1 of 2

noun

wise·​crack ˈwīz-ˌkrak 

: a clever or sarcastic remark

wisecrack

2 of 2

verb

wisecracked; wisecracking; wisecracks

intransitive verb

: to make a wisecrack

wisecracker noun

Synonyms

Noun

• boff
• boffo
• boffola
• crack
• drollery
• funny
• gag
• giggle [chiefly British]
• jape
• jest
• joke
• josh
• laugh
• nifty
• one-liner
• pleasantry
• quip
• rib
• sally
• waggery
• witticism
• yuk [slang]
• yuck
• yak
• yock

Verb

• banter
• chaff
• fool
• fun
• gag
• jape
• jest
• jive
• joke
• jolly
• josh
• kid
• quip
• yuk [slang]
• yuck

Examples of wisecrack in a Sentence

Noun

Someone in the theater was making wisecracks during the entire movie.

a whispered wisecrack doubled them over in laughter

Verb

wisecracked to hide his nervousness during the auditions

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At the retirement home, everybody’s got problems — memory loss, cancer, loneliness — but these darker moments alternate with sight gags, punchlines and snarky wisecracks in a way that somehow feels cohesive. —Hugh Hart, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024

When the perceptive Moon in your playful 5th house goads incisive Mercury in your intimacy zone, a wisecrack about a personal issue may really offend you. —Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2024

Verb

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) Bob Hope didn’t so much play characters as variations on the Bob Hope persona, a wisecracking coward with a tendency to get in way over his head then make matters worse for himself. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

There’s the sassy, wisecracking insult comic robot knows as the Zingbot. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1924, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

wisecrack

noun

wise·​crack

ˈwīz-ˌkrak

: a clever, smart, or joking remark

wisecrack verb

wisecracker noun