witless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- witlessly adverb
- witlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of witless
before 1000; Middle English; Old English witlēas. See wit 1, -less
Explanation
A witless person is a numskull. To be witless is not to lack the "funny" kind of "wit," but to lack the "brains" kind of "wit." If you're witless, you don't have your wits about you. I wouldn't call you stupid, exactly. After all, anyone who can calculate pi to the 20th decimal point without even using a pencil is anything but dumb. But I would call you witless for not knowing that when a woman asks you "Does this dress make me look fat?," the answer should always be "No." You may have heard someone say "Keep your wits about you," which means "Stay alert!" Well, if you're behaving in a witless fashion, then you're not being alert or showing proper judgment. Even smart people can be witless from time to time.
Vocabulary lists containing witless
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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.
It fails because it’s obvious, witless and dull.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Harry Brook's dance, swipe and miss at Mitchell Starc from his first ball seemed witless in the moment, yet it was Brook's audacity that kept England from a complete implosion.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025
I’m not talking about crazy uncles who ruin your Thanksgiving dinner; they’ve been crude and witless since the time you were a little kid who avoided them.
From Salon • Oct. 20, 2024
And it’s, hands down, one of the most witless acts perpetuated at the hands of today’s parents.
From Washington Times • Feb. 15, 2023
"What did you expect? You've scared him witless."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
