wits
/ (wɪts) /
(sometimes singular) the ability to reason and act, esp quickly (esp in the phrase have one's wits about one)
(sometimes singular) right mind, sanity (esp in the phrase out of one's wits)
at one's wits' end at a loss to know how to proceed
five wits obsolete the five senses or mental faculties
live by one's wits to gain a livelihood by craftiness and cunning rather than by hard work
Words Nearby wits
British Dictionary definitions for Wits (2 of 2)
/ (wɪts) /
Southern African informal University of the Witwatersrand
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
How to use wits in a sentence
Far less appreciated, Houston, rather than being a southern city of duller wits, actually ranks second in engineers per capita.
Battle of the Upstarts: Houston vs. San Francisco Bay | Joel Kotkin | October 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd when rappers battle one another with their wits and words, it is similar to the bam-pow!
Bam! Pow! Bling! Hip-Hop's History Gets the Graphic Novel Treatment | Daniel Genis | August 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe is routinely dismissed by Madrid wits as “a Danish tart.”
But rather than scare people out of their wits, they served as a moment of much-needed comic relief for many.
Israel, Hamas, WhatsApp and Hacked Phones in the Gaza Psy-War | Itay Hod | July 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAs a result, Tallulah found herself hailed as one of the wits of Manhattan, and she worked hard to make sure the reputation stuck.
Tallulah Bankhead: Gay, Drunk and Liberated in an Era of Excess Art | Judith Mackrell | January 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In cases in which no attempt is made to ignore the accusation, the small wits are wont to be busy discovering exculpations.
Children's Ways | James SullyIn spite of her sharpened wits, Mrs. Kaye smiled radiantly into Isabel's guileless eyes.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonIn a party of wits an argument took place as to the definition of a reasonable animal.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousAnd indeed for most young men a college thesis is but an exercise for sharpening the wits, rarely dangerous in its later effects.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl BeckerMatt, getting quick control of his wits, had been running his eyes over the roadster.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
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