unwise
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unwise
Describes an action, decision, or person that lacks wisdom, reason, or good judgment. It means not well thought out or imprudent.
Es war unklug von ihm, sein ganzes Geld in eine einzige Aktie zu investieren.
It was unwise of him to invest all his money in a single stock.
The adjective 'unklug' (unwise) is the direct opposite of 'klug' (clever, wise). The prefix 'un-' is used here for negation.
Das war eine sehr unkluge Antwort.
That was a very unwise answer.
'Unklug' is very often used in the construction 'Es ist/war unklug von jemandem, etwas zu tun' (It is/was unwise of someone to do something). The person is in the dative case.
Es war unklug von mir, ihm die Wahrheit nicht zu sagen.
It was unwise of me not to tell him the truth.
'Unklug' (unwise) often describes actions or decisions. Typical combinations are: an unwise decision, an unwise step, an unwise question, or to act unwisely.
Im Nachhinein erwies sich sein Plan als unklug.
In hindsight, his plan proved to be unwise.
stupid / unfortunate
'dumm' and 'unklug' are close in meaning when it comes to bad decisions or behavior that is not very wise. 'dumm' can sound very direct and insulting, especially when used about people. 'unklug' is more cautious and means something more like: something was not well thought out or not sensible. Learners may confuse the words because both express a negative judgment. If you want to criticize a decision objectively, 'unklug' is often more natural. If you are speaking more strongly or emotionally, 'dumm' is more likely to fit.
Bei Glatteis so schnell zu fahren, war wirklich unklug.
Driving so fast on icy roads was really unwise.
Das war eine dumme Frage, aber niemand hat gelacht.
That was a stupid question, but no one laughed.