wiseacre

Meaning

Noun

1. One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who is wisecracking; an insolent upstart.
2. (obsolete) A learned or wise man.

Verb

To act like a wiseacre; to wisecrack.

Synonyms

smart aleck

wisenheimer

wise guy

know-it-all

wiseguy

weisenheimer

wise man

sage

mocker

know-all

Solomon

half-scholar

smart alec

smartass

pedant

Translations

saccente

sabelotodo

Besserwisser

Klugscheißer

pédant

saputello

sabihondo

γραμυατισυενος

saccentone

εγγράμματος

cacasenno

sapientone

plaisantin

δοκησίσοφος

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈwaɪzeɪkə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Cognate with Old English: wītga

Cognate with German: Weissager

In summary

From Middle Dutch wijssegger (“soothsayer”), from Old High German wīzzago, wīzago (“wise man, prophet, soothsayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wītagō (“wise one; prophet”). Cognate with Old English wītga (“wise man, prophet”). See also German Weissager (“soothsayer, seer”).