whet
Americanverb (used with object)
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whets,
present (3rd person singular)
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whetted,
past participle, past
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whetting
present participle
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to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
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to make keen or eager; stimulate.
to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.
noun
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the act of whetting.
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something that whets; appetizer or drink.
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Chiefly Southern U.S.
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a spell of work.
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a while.
to talk a whet.
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verb
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to sharpen, as by grinding or friction
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to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate
noun
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the act of whetting
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a person or thing that whets
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whetsimple
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whetssimple
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have whettedperfect
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has whettedperfect
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am whettingprogressive
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are whettingprogressive
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is whettingprogressive
-
have been whettingperfect progressive
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has been whettingperfect progressive
Past
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whettedsimple
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had whettedperfect
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was whettingprogressive
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were whettingprogressive
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had been whettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whet
before 900; Middle English whetten (v.), Old English hwettan (derivative of hwæt bold); cognate with German wetzen, Old Norse hvetja, Gothic gahwatjan to incite
Explanation
To whet is to sharpen. You could whet a knife's blade with a whetstone, or you could whet your appetite by having a small salad before dinner. The verb whet can mean "to stimulate or make more acute," and the word is often used in the phrase "whet [your] appetite," which works both literally and figuratively. You could serve light appetizers to whet a guest's appetite for dinner, or give an actor a small part to whet their appetite for a bigger role. In fact, you can whet any desire or sense — such as curiosity, interest, or ambition.
Vocabulary lists containing whet
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Alchemist
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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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.
See Examples For:
The talk has ceased, but a successful acquisition of Greenland could whet his appetite anew.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Did they whet your whistle for the book?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
To whet your appetite, there's already a Glastonbury Hits Channel on iPlayer, streaming classic tracks from previous years – with highlights including Oasis, Little Simz, The Who and Lady Gaga.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2025
“Dune: Prophecy,” a prequel based on Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s “Great Schools of Dune” trilogy, has about six hours to set the table and whet our appetite.
From Salon ● Nov. 17, 2024
As so often happens in science, their discoveries only whet the appetite for more research, which in turn created a demand for bigger, more expensive accelerators.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
While just a sampling, the show whets one’s appetite.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
While the business acumen of both clubs can be appreciated and has certainly positioned these two sides to take part in this huge fixture, it is the quality on the field that whets the appetite.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2024
And after 2021’s “Candyman,” it welcomes more of Barker’s nightmarish canon back to the screen and whets the appetite for dark and dangerous horror tales to come.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
Your documentary whets my appetite to watch or rewatch almost all of the films you showcase.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2022
“Because there is a force that wants you to realize your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success.”
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
That ritual whetted his curiosity about his nation’s native spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
The swathes of fertile farmland in Sudan, Africa's third-largest country and a potential agricultural breadbasket, have whetted the appetite of the desert Gulf countries across the Red Sea.
From Barron's ● Nov. 21, 2025
If nothing else, this episode whetted the appetite for next week’s return of Maya Rudolph as host.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2024
"I hope that Perseverance has just whetted our appetite for more Martian exploration," Czaja said.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2024
He thought for a bit, while he took out his knife, cleaned and whetted it, and began to dress the rabbits.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Williams beat 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns on her comeback in Washington, whetting her appetite for more competitive action.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2025
But in LIV Golf’s case - at least after one year - the nearly four-month break only created skepticism of its future instead of whetting the appetite.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 21, 2023
If nothing else, the newly-detailed images of Europa are further whetting researchers' appetites to learn more about the moon's many mysteries — and possibilities.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2022
The Girl Scouts are whetting your cookie appetite six months early.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2022
The dwarf had been whetting the edge of his axe and making some mordant jest when Bronn spotted the banner the riders carried before them, the moon-and-falcon of House Arryn, sky-blue and white.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
