whet
verb (used with object)
to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
whetted
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past participleof whet.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof whet.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
whetverb (used with object)to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
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.
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
It was good eating; but I’d had my appetite whetted for fried middling meat to go with it.
From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
