whet

1 of 2

verb

whetted; whetting

transitive verb

1
: to sharpen by rubbing on or with something (such as a stone)
whet a knife
2
: to make keen or more acute : excite, stimulate
whet the appetite
whetted her curiosity
whetter noun

whet

2 of 2

noun

1
dialect
a
: a spell of work done with a scythe between the time it is sharpened and the time it needs to be sharpened again
b
: time, while
2
: something that sharpens or makes keen:
b
: appetizer
also : a drink of liquor

Examples of whet in a Sentence

Verb We had some wine to whet our appetites. The ads are trying to whet booksellers' interest.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Amazon's annual Prime Day event is entering orbit and scheduled to land on July 8, but the mega-retailer is whetting our appetite early with some enticing discounts on tech from our favorite manufacturers, like HP. K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 June 2025 Braff and Faison have appeared together in the recent series of T-Mobile commercials, which only whets our proverbial appetite for their reunion on Scrubs. Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 Finishing sixth in the table two years ago to qualify for the Europa League under former head coach Roberto De Zerbi whetted the appetite for more European experiences for the club. Andy Naylor, New York Times, 20 May 2025 In England, Richards apparently shared it with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, among others, whetting their appetites for the older American instruments. Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for whet

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English whetten, from Old English hwettan; akin to Old High German wezzen to whet, waz sharp

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whet was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whet. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

whet

verb
ˈhwet,
ˈwet
whetted; whetting
1
: to sharpen by rubbing on or with something (as a stone)
whet a knife
2
: to make keen : stimulate
whet the appetite

More from Merriam-Webster on whet

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