quick-witted

American  

[kwik-wit-id] / ˈkwɪkˈwɪt ɪd /

adjective

1. having a nimble, alert mind.

   Synonyms:

   sharp, clever, smart, perceptive, keen

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quick-witted British  

adjective

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

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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."

Example Sentences

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

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

Jacobs and Roach have written such a quick-witted character that it seems implausible Violet wouldn’t think of this herself, even if she was overwhelmed by the sudden collision of her nerves and trauma.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2025

Slattery was known and loved for his quick-witted improvisations on the popular Channel 4 show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, from 1988 onwards.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

Do you have to be particularly quick-witted or clever or light on your feet to play that scene?

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• astute
• brainy
• intelligent
• perceptive
• shrewd