Meaning of wit in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /wɪt/

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  1. Noun

    wit

    Etymology

    Old English wit(t), gewit(t), denoting the mind as the seat of consciousness, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch weet and German Witz, also to wit

    Definitions

    1. a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
  2. 2. mental ability

    Examples

    • « he's got plenty of brains but no common sense »
  3. 3. a witty amusing person who makes jokes

Famous quotes

  • « My work requires acting at its most committed - it demands actors of enormous resilience, but also intelligence and wit. It doesn't work for narcissistic or selfish actors. »
    Mike Leigh
  • « A proverb is the wisdom of many and the wit of one. »
    Lord John Russell
  • « Wit is the lowest form of humor. »
    Alexander Pope
  • « Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence. »
    Thomas Jefferson
  • « I appreciate simplicity, true beauty that lasts over time, and a little wit and eclecticism that make life more fun. »
    Elliott Erwitt

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