know-it-all
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know-it-all
A person who believes they know everything better than others and often expresses this without being asked and in a lecturing way. The term has a negative connotation.
Niemand mag mit ihm diskutieren, weil er so ein unerträglicher Besserwisser ist.
No one likes discussing things with him because he is such an unbearable know-it-all.
The word is made up of the words 'besser' (better) and 'wissen' (to know). So it literally describes a person who (believes that they) 'knows things better.'
Er muss immer das letzte Wort haben, er ist ein echter Besserwisser.
He always has to have the last word; he is a real know-it-all.
'Besserwisser' (know-it-all) is always meant negatively and disparagingly. It is a criticism or a mild insult and is never used as a compliment.
Sei doch nicht immer so ein Besserwisser und lass die anderen auch mal reden!
Don't always be such a know-it-all, and let the others talk for once!
To describe a person's behavior, you use the adjective 'besserwisserisch' (know-it-all / smart-alecky). It describes a lecturing and arrogant manner.
Seine besserwisserische Art macht ihn bei seinen Kollegen nicht sehr beliebt.
His know-it-all manner doesn't make him very popular with his colleagues.
boomer
'Boomer' and 'Besserwisser' can both sound derogatory when someone seems lecturing or old-fashioned. 'Boomer' actually refers to a specific generation, but colloquially it is also used for older people who do not seem modern. 'Besserwisser', on the other hand, describes a behavior: someone thinks they know everything better and often says so without being asked. This can be a young or an old person. The words can be confused when an older person speaks in a lecturing way. In that case, 'Boomer' is more of a generation word, while 'Besserwisser' is more about the way someone talks.
Im Meeting wirkte Tom wie ein Besserwisser, weil er jeden Satz der anderen korrigierte.
In the meeting, Tom came across like a know-it-all because he corrected every sentence the others said.
Mein Onkel nennt sich selbst scherzhaft einen Boomer, weil er mit neuen Apps nichts anfangen kann.
My uncle jokingly calls himself a boomer because he cannot get the hang of new apps.