wit
wit Lexical Profile
wit Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick, inventive, and humorously perceptive way.
"Her sharp wit and effortless charm made her the most sought-after speaker at the conference."
Mental sharpness, practical intelligence, and soundness of mind (often used in the plural 'wits').
"When navigating the unfamiliar mountain trail at dusk, the hikers had to keep their wits about them."
A person noted for their quick, clever, and amusing verbal humor.
"Oscar Wilde was celebrated throughout London as the greatest wit of his generation."
• verb
To know, learn, or have knowledge of something (archaic except in the formal phrase 'to wit').
"The estate comprises two parcels of land, to wit, the northern orchard and the adjoining meadow."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, 'wit' is archaic except in the fixed legal and formal phrase 'to wit' (meaning 'namely' or 'that is to say'). Historically, it had irregular forms ('wot' in the 1st/3rd person singular present, 'wist' in the past).
• Rhymes for wit
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'wit' (noun) and 'witan' (verb), from Proto-Germanic *wit- ('knowledge, to know'), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *weyd- ('to see, to know'), making it cognate with Latin 'videre' (to see) and Sanskrit 'veda' (knowledge).