whet

American  

[hwet, wet] / ʰwɛt, wɛt /

verb (used with object)

• whets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• whetted,
  past participle,  past
• whetting
  present participle

1. to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.

2. to make keen or eager; stimulate.

   to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.

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noun

1. the act of whetting.

2. something that whets; appetizer or drink.

3. Chiefly Southern U.S.

   1. a spell of work.

   2. a while.

      to talk a whet.

whet British  

/ wɛt /

verb

1. to sharpen, as by grinding or friction

2. to increase or enhance (the appetite, desire, etc); stimulate

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noun

1. the act of whetting

2. a person or thing that whets

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• whetter
  noun
• unwhetted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• whetting
  present
• whetted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• whet
  simple
• whets
  simple
• have whetted
  perfect
• has whetted
  perfect
• am whetting
  progressive
• are whetting
  progressive
• is whetting
  progressive
• have been whetting
  perfect progressive
• has been whetting
  perfect progressive

Past

• whetted
  simple
• had whetted
  perfect
• was whetting
  progressive
• were whetting
  progressive
• had been whetting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will whet
  simple
• will have whetted
  perfect
• will be whetting
  progressive
• will have been whetting
  perfect progressive

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whet whets whetted whetting

In the filing, meant to whet investors’ appetites for the offering, Anthropic said its technology could transform how people code, conduct research, automate routine tasks and even help cure major diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Did they whet your whistle for the book?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025

Here are a few tales to whet your appetite - or perhaps put you off your dinner.

From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2025

Such arguments will no doubt whet the appetites of law professors everywhere and may set up a clash that the Supreme Court will ultimately resolve.

From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2025

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 if this engaging film whets your appetite for an even more encompassing look at this inspiring woman, her recently released memoir, “Beyond This Harbor: Adventurous Tales of the Heart,” may be just the thing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2023

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

Such austerity only whetted my childhood fondness for concoctions that now make me wince: grape soda, root beer, orange Fanta, even a hideous insipid confection known as cream soda.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The report added that Lukoil's foreign assets had also whetted the appetite of US investment company Carlyle and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund IHC.

From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026

Its appetite whetted, DraftKings moved to incorporate NFTs into its fantasy sports contest business by securing exclusive rights to all NFL players’ names, images and likenesses — together known as NIL rights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2024

"I hope that Perseverance has just whetted our appetite for more Martian exploration," Czaja said.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2024

Far from satisfying him, the sketchy meal only whetted his appetite; moreover, the onion had made his lip smart and burn.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Many of the images are succeeding in drawing attention — but for reasons that have little to do with whetting diners’ appetites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Williams beat 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns on her comeback in Washington, whetting her appetite for more competitive action.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2025

But it was hard not to feel like these bite-size concerts were whetting the appetite for a full meal that may never come this way again.

From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2023

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

They’d spent most of the afternoon gathering supplies for the hunt—water, dried foods, whetting stones for their weapons.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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Related Words

• incite
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