wisenheimer

noun

wi·sen·hei·mer ˈwī-zᵊn-ˌhī-mər

variants or less commonly weisenheimer

Synonyms of wisenheimer next

: smart aleck

Did you know?

Wisenheimer and More "Wise" Words

We wouldn't joke around about the origin of this witty word. In the early 20th century, someone had the smart idea to combine the adjective wise (one sense of which means "insolent, smart-alecky, or fresh") with -enheimer, playing on the pattern of family names such as Oppenheimer and Guggenheimer. Of course, wisenheimer isn't the only "wise-" word for someone who jokes around. There's also wiseacre, wisecracker, and wise guy. All of these jokesters are fond of making wisecracks.

Examples of wisenheimer in a Sentence

it seems like every time we go to the movies, sitting behind us is some wisenheimer making snide cracks

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Also, the movie knows when to ease up on the wisenheimer instinct. —