Unwise

a. [OE. unwis (UN-¹ 7), = NFris. unwis, -wiss, (M)Du. onwijs, OS. (MLG.) unwîs, OHG. unwîs, unwîsi (MHG. unwíse, G. unweise), ON. úvíss (MSw. and Sw. ovis, Da. and Norw. uvis), Goth. unweis.]

  1.  Lacking or deficient in (practical) wisdom, discretion, or prudence; indiscreet, imprudent, foolish. Also const. in.

c. 825.  Vesp. Psalter xci. 7. Wer unwis ne oncnaweð & dysiʓ ne onʓiteð ða.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 89. Ic wæs … unwisum netenum ʓelic ʓeworden.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 111. Þet is mildheortnesse þet þe wisa mon mid steore þene unwisan irihleche.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 16954. Forr unnwis mann iss blunnt.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 74. Hwose euer wule mei gon in & leden uorð hore asse: þet is, hore unwise soule.

c. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 469/250. Heo was puyrliche vnwys in sawe and in spelle.

c. 1315.  Shoreham, III. 312. Ich wot hy beþ Vn-wyser þane þe wode.

c. 1325.  Metr. Hom., 110. Thar mai we graithe ensampel take, Unwise felawschip to forsake, And hald us imang wise men.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 411. Þis telliþ an opyn blasfemye, þat crist was vnwiss in þis.

1415.  Hoccleve, To Sir J. Oldcastle, 77. Thow art vnwys thogh thow thee wys pretende.

c. 1455.  Pecock, Folewer, 38. [They] holden him þerfore in þat neuer þe vnwiser þan creaturis whiche knowen þe same trouþis.

1536.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 86. Saye not as many an unwyse persone sayth.

1573.  New Custom, I. i. Yea, doth! then the more vnwise man you.

1645.  Milton, Tetrach., 42. When as he should bee not unwiser then the Serpent. Ibid. (1660), Way estab. Free Commw., 6. A nation … unwise in thir counsels.

c. 1700.  Short Acc. Scotland, 56. The younger and unwiser of the Bishops.

1746.  Francis, trans. Horace, Epist., I. v. 22. The grave Disgrace of being thought unwise.

1827.  Carlyle, Misc. (1840), I. 47. A class of unwise men.

1871.  Browning, Pr. Hohenst., 1472. What if the event demonstrate her unwise?

  transf.  1390.  Gower, Conf., I. 339. Thus seith the wilde unwise tonge Of hem.

1533.  Gau, Richt Vay, 32. Thair onwisz hartis war blyndit.

1831.  Carlyle, Sart. Res., I. i. That unwise science, which … ‘By geometric scale Doth take the size of pots of ale.’

  b.  absol. as sing. or pl.

c. 825.  Vesp. Psalter, xiii. 1. Cweð se unwisa in his heortan, nis god.

a. 1300.  Floriz & Bl., 1016. Ac Floris cleppen hire bigon, And he him also unwise [F. si fait que fol].

c. 1315.  Shoreham, I. 355. Þat fleisch wiþ sleuþe and glotonie … [acombreþ] Þoun-wyse.

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. IX. 84. Ȝe wyse, soffreþ þe vn-wyse wiþ ow for to libbe.

1484.  Caxton, Fables of Æsop, I. xvii. The vnwyse displeseth there, where as he supposeth to please.

a. 1542.  Wyatt in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 86. For the vnwise Had not ysene such a beast before.

1647.  N. Ward, Simp. Cobler, 25. He that instructs a foole, may act th’ unwise.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., VIII. 559. Th’ unwise prevail,… And by the god’s decree proud Ilion falls.

1806.  H. K. White, Lett., 25 June. The religion of Jesus Christ is … wisdom to the unwise.

1871.  Jowett, Plato, I. 367. The opinions of the unwise are evil.

  2.  Not marked, distinguished, or prompted by (practical) wisdom; characterized by lack of sound judgment; injudicious.

1390.  Gower, Conf., I. 166. It is an unwys vengance.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 49. Pylgrimis & palmers … Wenten forth in hure way with meny vn-wyse tales.

a. 1425.  trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 44. If þe fynger … haue be long vnheled of vnwise cure.

1513.  Q. Kath., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. III. I. 153. With my servants unwise demeanur I am noo thing wel contente.

1590.  Barrough, Meth. Physick, I. xxiv. (1596), 40. There goeth before this euill [sc. epilepsy] an vnwise state of the bodie and mind.

1594.  Shaks., Rich. III., IV. i. 52. Be not ta’ne tardie by vnwise delay.

1678.  Butler, Hud., III. iii. 518. This Gambol thou advisest, Is of all others, the unwisest.

1798.  S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., II. 4. Lady Lettingham exacted one compliance, even her brother thought not unwise.

a. 1800.  Cowper, Odyss. (ed. 2), XV. 12. It were a deed unwise, To sojourn longer here.

1809.  Coleridge, Friend, 158. The conduct … was equally unwise in private life and to individuals.

1846.  Mrs. A. Marsh, Father Darcy, II. iv. 85. These revolting and most unwise persecutions.

1855.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xx. IV. 522. It would be unwise to bring the prisoners to trial.

  † 3.  Out of one’s senses; mad. Obs.^–1

  Cf. Flem. on-wijs ‘demens’ (Kilian) and OE. on unwís ‘in a mad manner.’ Similarly Sc. no wise = mad.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 3817. Schountes he no lengare; Bot alls vnwyse wodewyse he wente at the gayneste.

1481.  Caxton, Reynard, xxviii. (Arb.), 63. I lepe here and there, as an vnwyse [Du. onvroet] man.