This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
nitwit
[ nit-wit ]
/ ˈnɪtˌwɪt /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a slow-witted, stupid, or foolish person.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Origin of nitwit
First recorded in 1920–25; nit (from German; dialectal variant of nicht “not”) + wit1(in the sense of “intelligence”)
Words nearby nitwit
nitryl, nits-and-lice, Nitti, nitty, nitty-gritty, nitwit, Niue, Niuean, Niu Tireni, nival, nivation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use nitwit in a sentence
Under our current nitwit sequester policy, government cutbacks continued to drag down growth.
British Dictionary definitions for nitwit
nitwit
/ (ˈnɪtˌwɪt) /
noun
informal a foolish person
Word Origin for nitwit
C20: perhaps from nit 1 + wit 1
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