Main Entry: wit·ty

Pronunciation: \ˈwi-tē\

Function: adjective

Inflected Form(s): wit·ti·er; wit·ti·est

Date: before 12th century

1 archaic : having good intellectual capacity : intelligent
2 : amusingly or ingeniously clever in conception or execution <the costumes are sumptuous and witty — Virgil Thomson> <the musical background is…often witty — Wolcott Gibbs>
3 : marked by or full of wit : smartly facetious or jocular <a witty novel>
4 : quick or ready to see or express illuminating or amusing relationships or insights <a witty raconteur>

— wit·ti·ly \ˈwi-tə-lē\ adverb

— wit·ti·ness \ˈwi-tē-nəs\ noun

synonyms witty, humorous, facetious, jocular, jocose mean provoking or intended to provoke laughter. witty suggests cleverness and quickness of mind <a witty remark>. humorous applies broadly to anything that evokes usually genial laughter and may contrast with witty in suggesting whimsicality or eccentricity <humorous anecdotes>. facetious stresses a desire to produce laughter and may be derogatory in implying dubious or ill-timed attempts at wit or humor <facetious comments>. jocular implies a usually habitual fondness for jesting and joking <a jocular fellow>. jocose is somewhat less derogatory than facetious in suggesting habitual waggishness or playfulness <jocose proposals>.