wit
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wit 1
(wĭt)n.
Idioms: 1.
a. The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence.
b. often wits Practical intelligence; shrewdness or resourcefulness: living by one's wits.
c. wits Sound mental faculties; sanity: scared out of my wits.
d. Archaic A person of exceptional intelligence.
2.
a. The ability to express oneself intelligently in a playful or humorous manner, often in overturning audience expectations: a writer with a scintillating wit.
b. A person noted for this ability, especially in conversation: "My mother, the family wit and teaser, knew better than to joke about the disaster" (Donald Hall).
c. Intelligent playfulness or humor in expression, as in speech, writing, or art: novels known for their wit and inventiveness.
at (one's) wits' end
At the limit of one's mental resources; utterly at a loss.
have (or keep) (one's) wits about (one)
To remain alert or calm, especially in a crisis.
[Middle English, from Old English; see weid- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
wit 2
(wĭt)v. wist (wĭst), wit·ting (wĭt′ĭng), first and third person singular present tense wot (wŏt) Archaic
v.tr.
To be or become aware of; learn.
v.intr.
Idiom: To know.
to wit
That is to say; namely.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
wit
(wɪt)n
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) the talent or quality of using unexpected associations between contrasting or disparate words or ideas to make a clever humorous effect
2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) speech or writing showing this quality
3. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) 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 Scot and Northern English 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
[Old English witt; related to Old Saxon giwitt, Old High German wizzi (German Witz), Old Norse vit, Gothic witi. See wit2]
wit
(wɪt)vb
archaic to be or become aware of (something)
adv
(Law) to wit that is to say; namely (used to introduce statements, as in legal documents)
[Old English witan; related to Old High German wizzan (German wissen), Old Norse vita, Latin vidēre to see]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wit1
(wɪt)n.
1. the keen perception and clever expression of those connections between ideas that awaken amusement and pleasure.
2. a person having or noted for such perception and expression.
3. witty speech or writing.
4. understanding, intelligence, or sagacity; astuteness.
5. Usu., wits.
Idioms: a. shrewdness; resourcefulness; ingenuity: to live by one's wits.
b. mental faculties; senses: to have one's wits about one.
at one's wit's or wits' end, drained of all ideas or mental resources; utterly confused or frustrated.
[before 900; Middle English, Old English: mind, thought, c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon wit, Old High German wizzi]
syn: See humor.
wit2
(wɪt)v.t., v.i. past and past part. wist; pres. part. wit•ting.
Archaic. to know.
Idioms: to wit, that is to say; namely: an overwhelming victory, to wit, a landslide.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English witan, c. Old Saxon, Gothic witan, Old High German wizzan, Old Norse vita; akin to Latin vidēre, Greek ideîn to see, Skt vidati (he) knows]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Wit
See Also: CLEVERNESS, HUMOR, WISDOM
- As much wit as three folks, two fools and a madman —Thomas Fuller
- One wit, like a knuckle of ham in soup, gives a zest and flavor to the dish, but more than one serves only to spoil the pottage —Tobias Smollett
- Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own —Jonathan Swift
- Sharp wits, like sharp knives, do often cut their owner’s fingers —Aaron Arrowsmith
- Wit and wisdom are like the seven stars, seldom seen together —Thomas Fuller
- Wit is as infinite as love —Agnes Repplier
Repplier built on her simile with “And a deal more lasting in its qualities.”
- Wit … like a quick-flashing blade —Henry James
- Wit … like champagne, not only sparkles, but is sweet —Benjamin Disraeli
- Wit, like money, bears an extra value when rung down as soon as it’s wanted —Douglas Jerrold
- Wit must grow like fingers —John Selden
- Wit … penetrates through the coldness and awkwardness of society, gradually bringing men nearer together, and, like the combined force of wine and oil, giving every man a glad heart and a shining countenance —Sydney Smith
- Wit, without learning, is like a tree which bears no fruit —Aristippus
- Wit, without wisdom, is like a song without sense; it does not please long —Josh Billings
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
wit
Past participle: wist
Gerund: witting
| Imperative |
|---|
| wit |
| wit |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  wit - a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughterjeu d'esprit - a witty comment or writing esprit de l'escalier - a witty remark that occurs to you too late pungency, bite - wit having a sharp and caustic quality; "he commented with typical pungency"; "the bite of satire" caustic remark, irony, sarcasm, satire - witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift repartee - adroitness and cleverness in reply gag, jape, jest, joke, laugh - a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter; "he told a very funny joke"; "he knows a million gags"; "thanks for the laugh"; "he laughed unpleasantly at his own jest"; "even a schoolboy's jape is supposed to have some ascertainable point" caricature, impersonation, imitation - a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect fun, sport, play - verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun"; "he said it in sport" ribaldry - ribald humor topper - an exceedingly good witticism that surpasses all that have gone before libation - (facetious) a serving of an alcoholic beverage roaster - a harsh or humorous critic (sometimes intended as a facetious compliment); "the honoree gave his roasters as good as he got" |
| 2. |  wit - mental ability; "he's got plenty of brains but no common sense"intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience | |
| 3. |  wit - a witty amusing person who makes jokescolloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
wit
noun
1. humour, fun, quips, banter, puns, pleasantry, repartee, wordplay, levity, witticisms, badinage, jocularity, facetiousness, drollery, raillery, waggishness, wittiness Bill was known for his biting wit.
humour gravity, seriousness, sobriety, solemnity, dullness, humourlessness
humour gravity, seriousness, sobriety, solemnity, dullness, humourlessness
2. humorist, card (informal), comedian, wag, joker, dag (N.Z. informal), punster, farceur (French), epigrammatist a man who fancied himself as a great wit
3. (often plural) cleverness, mind, reason, understanding, sense, brains, smarts (slang, chiefly U.S.), judgment, perception, wisdom, insight, common sense, intellect, comprehension, ingenuity, acumen, nous (Brit. slang), discernment, practical intelligence The information is there for anyone with the wit to use it.
cleverness ignorance, folly, stupidity, foolishness, silliness, obtuseness, lack of perception
cleverness ignorance, folly, stupidity, foolishness, silliness, obtuseness, lack of perception
at your wits' end in despair, lost, stuck (informal), stumped, baffled, bewildered, at a loss, at the end of your tether I just can't think what to do - I'm at my wits' end.
Quotations
"True wit is nature to advantage dress'd,"
"What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed" [Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism]
"Brevity is the soul of wit" [William Shakespeare Hamlet]
"Next to being witty yourself, the best thing is being able to quote another's wit" [Christian N. Bovee]
"Wit is the epitaph of an emotion" [Friedrich Nietzsche Menschliches, Allzumenschliches]
"True wit is nature to advantage dress'd,"
"What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed" [Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism]
"Brevity is the soul of wit" [William Shakespeare Hamlet]
"Next to being witty yourself, the best thing is being able to quote another's wit" [Christian N. Bovee]
"Wit is the epitaph of an emotion" [Friedrich Nietzsche Menschliches, Allzumenschliches]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
wit
noun1. The faculty of thinking, reasoning, and acquiring and applying knowledge:
brain (often used in plural), brainpower, intellect, intelligence, mentality, mind, sense, understanding.
Slang: smart (used in plural).
2. Skill in perceiving, discriminating, or judging:
3. A healthy mental state.Used in plural:
Slang: marble (used in plural).
4. The quality of being laughable or comical:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بَديهَه، فِطْنَهفِطْنَةمِزاج مَرِح، خِفَّة دَم
důvtipvtip
vidder skal til
nokkeluussukkeluussutkaus
domišljatost
szellemes ember
fyndni, hnyttniorîheppinn maîurskynsemi
機知
재치
gudrumu pelnytis duonąmirtinai kąneprarasti galvos-protosąmojinga pastaba
apķērībaasprātībaasprātisatjautībaatjautīgs cilvēks
schepsis
vtipný človek
duhovitost
intellekt
คำพูดหรือข้อเขียนที่แสดงเชาน์ปัญญา
sự hóm hỉnh
wit
1 [wɪt] N1. (= understanding) → inteligencia f
a battle of wits → una contienda entre dos inteligencias
to collect one's wits → reconcentrarse
to be at one's wits' end → no saber qué hacer, estar desesperado
to gather one's wits → reconcentrarse
to have or keep one's wits about one → no perder la cabeza
he hadn't the wit to see that → no tenía bastante inteligencia para comprender que ...
to live by one's wits → vivir del cuento
to be out of one's wits → estar fuera de sí
to be frightened or scared out of one's wits → estar profundamente asustado
to sharpen one's wits → aguzar el ingenio, despabilarse
to use one's wits → usar su sentido común
a battle of wits → una contienda entre dos inteligencias
to collect one's wits → reconcentrarse
to be at one's wits' end → no saber qué hacer, estar desesperado
to gather one's wits → reconcentrarse
to have or keep one's wits about one → no perder la cabeza
he hadn't the wit to see that → no tenía bastante inteligencia para comprender que ...
to live by one's wits → vivir del cuento
to be out of one's wits → estar fuera de sí
to be frightened or scared out of one's wits → estar profundamente asustado
to sharpen one's wits → aguzar el ingenio, despabilarse
to use one's wits → usar su sentido común
2. (= humour, wittiness) → ingenio m, agudeza f
in a flash of wit he said → en un golpe de ingenio dijo ...
to have a ready wit → ser ingenioso
the wit and wisdom of Joe Soap → las agudezas y sabiduría de Joe Soap
a story told without wit → un cuento narrado sin gracia
in a flash of wit he said → en un golpe de ingenio dijo ...
to have a ready wit → ser ingenioso
the wit and wisdom of Joe Soap → las agudezas y sabiduría de Joe Soap
a story told without wit → un cuento narrado sin gracia
3. (= person) → persona f ingeniosa (Hist) → ingenio m
an Elizabethan wit → un ingenio de la época isabelina
an Elizabethan wit → un ingenio de la época isabelina
wit
2 [wɪt] N (frm) (also Jur) to wit → a saber ..., esto es ...Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
wit
[ˈwɪt] n
(= wittiness) → esprit m
The girl laughed at his wit
BUT La fille riait de ses traits d'esprits.
with great wit → avec beaucoup d'esprit
The girl laughed at his wit
BUT La fille riait de ses traits d'esprits.
with great wit → avec beaucoup d'esprit
(= intelligence) → présence f d'esprit
to have the wit to do sth → avoir la présence d'esprit de faire qch
to have the wit to do sth → avoir la présence d'esprit de faire qch
to wit adv → à savoir wits
npl
(= ability to think quickly) → tête f
to use one's wits to do sth → se servir de sa tête pour faire qch
to have one's wits about one → avoir toute sa tête
to keep one's wits about one → garder la tête sur les épaules
to pit one's wits against sb → rivaliser d'esprit avec qn
to use one's wits to do sth → se servir de sa tête pour faire qch
to have one's wits about one → avoir toute sa tête
to keep one's wits about one → garder la tête sur les épaules
to pit one's wits against sb → rivaliser d'esprit avec qn
to be at one's wits' end → ne plus savoir que faire
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
wit
1wit
2n
(= understanding) → Verstand m; beyond the wit of man → über den menschlichen Verstand or Horizont hinaus; a battle of wits → ein geistiges Kräftemessen; to be at one’s wits’ end → am Ende seiner Weisheit sein, mit seinem Latein am Ende sein (hum inf); I was at my wits’ end (to find a solution) → ich wusste mir keinen Rat or Ausweg mehr(, wie ich eine Lösung finden könnte); to drive somebody out of his wits → jdn um seinen Verstand bringen; to lose one’s wits → den or seinen Verstand verlieren; to collect one’s wits → seine fünf Sinne (wieder) zusammennehmen; to frighten or scare somebody out of his wits → jdn zu Tode erschrecken; to be frightened or scared out of one’s wits → zu Tode erschreckt sein; to have or keep one’s wits about one → seine (fünf) Sinne zusammen- or beisammenhaben, einen klaren Kopf haben; to sharpen one’s wits → seinen Verstand schärfen; to use one’s wits → seinen Verstand gebrauchen, sein Köpfchen or seinen Grips anstrengen (inf); to live by or on one’s wits → sich schlau or klug durchs Leben schlagen
(= humour, wittiness) → Geist m, → Witz m; full of wit → geistreich; the book is full of wit → es ist sehr viel Geistreiches in dem Buch
(= person) → geistreicher Kopf
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
wit
[wɪt] na. (understanding, gen pl) → intelligenza
native wit → buon senso
to be at one's wits' end → avere esaurito tutte le risorse, non sapere più che fare
to have or keep one's wits about one → avere presenza di spirito
use your wits! → usa il cervello!
to live by one's wits → vivere di espedienti
to collect one's wits → rimettersi in sesto
to be frightened or scared out of one's wits → essere spaventato/a a morte
native wit → buon senso
to be at one's wits' end → avere esaurito tutte le risorse, non sapere più che fare
to have or keep one's wits about one → avere presenza di spirito
use your wits! → usa il cervello!
to live by one's wits → vivere di espedienti
to collect one's wits → rimettersi in sesto
to be frightened or scared out of one's wits → essere spaventato/a a morte
d. (namely) to wit → cioè
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
wit
(wit) noun1. humour; the ability to express oneself in an amusing way. His plays are full of wit; I admire his wit.
2. a person who expresses himself in a humorous way, tells jokes etc. He's a great wit.
3. common sense, inventiveness etc. He did not have the wit to defend himself.
ˈwitless adjective crazy, stupid etc.
-witted having understanding or intelligence of a certain kind. quick-/sharp-witted.
ˈwitticism (-sizəm) noun a witty remark etc.
ˈwitty adjective clever and amusing. a witty person; witty remarks.
ˈwittily adverbˈwittiness noun
at one's wits' end
utterly confused and desperate.
keep one's wits about one to be cautious, alert and watchful.
live by one's wits to live by cunning rather than by hard work.
(frighten/scare) out of one's wits (to frighten) (almost) to the point of madness. The sight of the gun in his hand scared me out of my wits.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
wit
→ فِطْنَة důvtip vid geistige Wendigkeit ευστροφία ingenio nokkeluus esprit domišljatost arguzia 機知 재치 scherpzinnigheid vett dowcip perspicácia остроумие intellekt คำพูดหรือข้อเขียนที่แสดงเชาน์ปัญญา nükte sự hóm hỉnh 智力Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009