witty

See also: Witty

English

Etymology

From Middle English witty, witti, from Old English wittiġ, witiġ, ġewittiġ (“clever, wise”), from Proto-West Germanic *witīg, *witag, from Proto-Germanic *witagaz, *wītagaz (“knowing, wise, clever”), equivalent to wit +‎ -y. Cognate with Middle Low German wittich, gewittich (“knowing, clever, wise, understanding”), German witzig (“funny, witty”), Norwegian Bokmål vettig, Norwegian Nynorsk vittig (“witty”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈwɪti/
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈwɪti/, [ˈwɪɾi]
  • Rhymes: -ɪti

Adjective

witty (comparative wittier, superlative wittiest)

  1. (obsolete) Wise, having good judgement.
  2. (archaic) Possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity; intelligent, skilful, ingenious.
  3. Clever; amusingly ingenious.
    His speech was both witty and informative.
  4. Full of wit.
    His frequent quips mark him as particularly witty.
  5. Quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits.
    She may have grown older, but she has grown no less witty.

Synonyms

Translations

See also

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