Meaning

2 senses

  1. (intransitive, often, slang)To be impertinent.

    He was getting wise, so I cracked him one.

    He wasn't just getting wise, he was getting wise to my mother.

  2. (intransitive, often, slang)To become aware of or see through a deception.

    Last night, I thought he'd sign the deal, but this morning he'd got wised somehow.

    The substitute soon got wise to their particular tricks.

More definitions
  • understand, usually after some initial difficulty

Examples

13 sentences

  1. Tom got wiser as he grew older.

    ruТом поумнел с возрастом.

    deTom wurde klüger, je älter er wurde.

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  2. Getting wise doesn't mean actually being wise.

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  3. Mary got wiser as she grew older.

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  4. He got wiser as he grew older.

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  5. She got wiser as she grew older.

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Translations

2 languages

Forms

gets wise, getting wise, got wise, got wise
Base formget wise · to get wise
3rd person singulargets wise
Present participlegetting wise
Past simplegot wise
Past participlegot wise / gotten wise

irregular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyget wise
he, she, itgets wise

Past simpleLesson

all personsgot wise

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave got wise
he, she, ithas got wise

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill get wise

Synonyms

7 synonyms
Close in meaning

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
gestureB1getA1getawayB2getter
get wise — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto