wit

¹ American  

[wit] / wɪt /

noun

1. the keen perception and cleverly apt expression of those connections between ideas that awaken amusement and pleasure.

   Synonyms:

   drollery

2. speech or writing showing such perception and expression.

   Synonyms:

   raillery, quip, witticism, banter, bon mot, persiflage, badinage, repartee

3. a person having or noted for such perception and expression.

   Synonyms:

   satirist, jester, wag

4. understanding, intelligence, or sagacity.

   Synonyms:

   mind, sense, wisdom

5. Usually wits

   1. powers of intelligent observation, keen perception, ingenious contrivance, or the like; mental acuity, composure, and resourcefulness.

      using one's wits to get ahead.

   2. mental faculties; senses.

      to lose one's wits;

      frightened out of one's wits.

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idioms

1. at one's wit's end. at the end of one's ideas or mental resources; perplexed.

   My two-year-old won't eat anything but pizza, and I'm at my wit's end.

2. keep / have one's wits about one, to remain alert and observant; be prepared for or equal to anything.

   to keep your wits about you in a crisis.

3. live by one's wits, to provide for oneself by employing ingenuity or cunning; live precariously.

   We traveled around the world, living by our wits.

wit ² American  

[wit] / wɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

wot, present (1st person singular), present (3rd person singular) wost, present (2nd person singular) wite, present (plural) witting present participle

1. Archaic. to know.

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idioms

1. to wit, that is to say; namely.

   It was the time of the vernal equinox, to wit, the beginning of spring.

wit ¹ British  

/ wɪt /

noun

1. the talent or quality of using unexpected associations between contrasting or disparate words or ideas to make a clever humorous effect

2. speech or writing showing this quality

3. a person possessing, showing, or noted for such an ability, esp in repartee

4. practical intelligence (esp in the phrase have the wit to )

5. dialect information or knowledge (esp in the phrase get wit of )

6. archaic mental capacity or a person possessing it

7. obsolete the mind or memory

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wit ² British  

/ wɪt /

verb

1. archaic to be or become aware of (something)

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adverb

1. that is to say; namely (used to introduce statements, as in legal documents)

wit More Idioms  

1. see at one's wit's end; have one's wits about one; live by one's wits; scare out of one's wits; to wit.

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Synonym Usage

See humor.

Etymology

Origin of wit¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English: “mind, thought”; cognate with German Witz, Old Norse vit; akin to wit ²

Origin of wit²

First recorded before 900; Middle English witen, Old English witan; cognate with Dutch weten, German wissen, Old Norse vita, Gothic witan to know; akin to Latin vidēre “to see,” Greek oîda (dialect woîda “I know,” and ideîn (dialect wideîn ) “to see,” Sanskrit vidati “(he) knows”; see wot

Explanation

Wit is brainpower or mental ability, or the person who possesses such ability, especially when it's used humorously. When we are scared out of our wits, we — figuratively, anyway — lose for a moment our mental faculties. When we are at our wits' end, we have run out of ideas or possible solutions to a frustrating situation. When we outwit someone, we make the smarter decision. Historical figures known for their wit include Voltaire, Oscar Wilde, and Mark Twain.

Example Sentences

‘There is nothing fresh or original here, no wit or zing, no pressure on language or form or voice or thought.’

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

"We still see Janie's wit and eccentricity, but we also see a more vulnerable side," she said.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Late-night comedy has a long history of offering Americans valuable political critique wrapped in ironic and entertaining wit.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

During debates, the former Fox News host has relied on his dry wit and posh tone to make his answers sound stronger than they are.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

One May afternoon, I sat near a window at the west end of the queen’s gallery, trying to decipher the tortured wit of his latest letter.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Related Words

• fun
• joke
• satire