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Synonyms

quick-witted

American  
[kwik-wit-id] / ˈkwɪkˈwɪt ɪd /

adjective

  1. having a nimble, alert mind.

    Synonyms:
    sharp, clever, smart, perceptive, keen
quick-witted British  

adjective

  1. having a keenly alert mind, esp as used to avert danger, make effective reply, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • quick-wittedly adverb
  • quick-wittedness noun

Etymology

Origin of quick-witted

First recorded in 1520–30; quick + wit 1 + -ed 3

Explanation

If you've got a knack for coming up with smart comments on the fly, you're quick-witted. The most quick-witted students in a class are often the first to raise their hands to answer the teacher's question (or to supply a sarcastic remark). Anyone whose mind is sharp can be called quick-witted, especially if they've got a great sense of humor and are speedy with a comeback. Being quick-witted is helpful during a debate or when you're playing a game with a time limit. Quick-witted comes from wit, which doesn't just mean "sense of humor," but also "intelligence."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Enter Digby, a handsome, quick-witted and wealthy enigma who smells faintly of fig.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Being funny — truly, naturally funny — isn’t just about delivering a punchline well or being quick-witted.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

Celebrate the holidays with this quick-witted, revelatory and very sweet teacher-centric mockumentary-comedy created by and starring Quinta Brunson.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

In Ava Pickett's fresh adaptation, being staged at London's Rose Theatre, Emma Woodhouse still has all the trademark traits of our beloved original heroine – she's clever, quick-witted, meddling, haughty and occasionally cruel.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

To Lisa, Reggie was a model kid: friendly, widely liked, quick-witted, but never seeming to crave the limelight.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.