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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
New vaccines, however, are usually compared with older vaccines because it’s considered unethical, not to mention unwise, to put children at risk of contracting a vaccine-preventable disease.
—
Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
The new tariffs would be limited to 150 days unless Congress extended them, which would be unwise — especially so close to an election.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Against this background, European diplomats, as well as some US lawmakers, warned Zelensky that a trip to Washington was unwise.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
That’s a risk that seems deeply unwise.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwise
Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
The new tariffs would be limited to 150 days unless Congress extended them, which would be unwise — especially so close to an election.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Against this background, European diplomats, as well as some US lawmakers, warned Zelensky that a trip to Washington was unwise.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
That’s a risk that seems deeply unwise.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwise
Adjective
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Hatosy’s Titus is the Danforths’ disappointing fail son and the actor keeps his face in a delightfully foolish little pout.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Your fast response and decisive actions prevented this foolish criminal act from endangering the rest of the county.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Making matters worse, the Blueprint is wholly inappropriate for many of Maryland’s counties.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Mar. 2026
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As City Hall contracted with Washington’s organization, emails detailing allegations of inappropriate behavior followed, The Star found.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And the hour-long results that premiere on the platform Friday are a mix of the cerebral and silly that audiences have come to expect from the Problemista filmmaker and former Saturday Night Live writer.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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Now, though, to look only at coaches with UNC already on their resume would be silly.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Now, because of his imprudent and inaccurate sloganeering, even with a majority of his appointees sitting on the board, the mayor faces the prospect of a legal and political fiasco that implicates the honesty of his most prominent promise to his constituents.—
Christian Browne,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
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The grand jury also charged Talley with a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner — stunt driving.—
Robert A. Cronkleton
March 24,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Rock and pop are often unsophisticated, or downright dumb.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Urban infrastructure, after all, is still pretty dumb—forcing robotaxis to be designed around transit systems that are decades old.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Which is an absurd list of options for a kid who barely played high school ball.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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The question of whether California should abolish property taxes almost seems absurd.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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What the report found In response to the allegations in Minnesota, Abbott issued six directives to the state workforce and human services commissions to identify if Texas had a problem with improper payments, specifically with fraud.—
Jess Huff,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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Manufacturers, though, don’t have to comply if the breakdown is the result of neglect or improper modifications made by the consumer.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwise. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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