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Glite Dictionary
streetwise

streetwise

7 7.0
Experienced at dealing with danger and bad situations in cities
  • adjective
  • /ˈstriːtˌwaɪz/
translation icon : astuto
  • Living in the city for years made him very streetwise, able to avoid dangerous situations.

They're not streetwise, you know, they haven't had it hard.

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Examples

  • After all, the girl was at least eighteen—and streetwise beyond that.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Bianca is a sweet, gorgeous girl who is completely clued up and streetwise.

    Blog text (28)

  • I may not be streetwise and all that.

    Selena (1997)

  • Plus I'm not as streetwise as I used to be.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • John was talking in the hard, streetwise tone she'd heard earlier from him.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • But he was intelligent in a streetwise sort of way and did seem to take his recovery seriously.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • You're a streetwise kid I'll give you that.

    No Reasons (2016)

  • Let's say that he's streetwise, you know.

    Jackie Brown (1997)

  • Ray, a former high school classmate, was savvy and streetwise, with a new take on black culture and white America.

    Blog text (12)

  • Prof. Wildavsky, lost now among the lotus-eaters of Berkeley, retains the streetwise toughness of a native New Yorker.

    Academic text (1991)

Synonyms

street-smart
vsstreetwise
  • Informal
7 7.4

Able to stay safe and handle problems in cities

is about avoiding danger and seizing chances in city life
worldly-wise
vsstreetwise
1 7.4

Experienced and careful about the practical side of life

is focused on city dangers and opportunities rather than general social savvy

Antonyms

naive
312 4.1

Not experienced and too ready to trust others

inexperienced
66 3.4

Not having much skill or practice

How Streetwise

streetwise
7 7.0
savvy
  • Informal
114 4.4
shrewd
50 4.7
inexperienced
66 3.4
naive
312 4.1

Surface Forms

streetwise positive

Morphology

streetwise = street + wise (semi-transparent) = street + wise

The word is a clear compound of 'street' and 'wise', but the sense 'experienced in avoiding city dangers' is somewhat idiomatic rather than fully literal.

Etymology

Streetwise comes from the two simple words street and wise, meaning 'wise about the street'. So, to be streetwise is to know the dangers of city life and how to stay safe.