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Witty and Wise
When we call someone witty, we are typically ascribing to them the quality of clever humor. This has not always been the case: witty (and the word it is formed from, wit) originally referred to intelligence or good judgment. Although the “mentally capable” meaning of witty has largely become obsolete, we still see vestiges of it in various expressions involving wit, such as wit and wisdom or out of one’s wits. Another phrase, to wit, meaning “that is, namely,” comes directly from the Middle English to witen (“to know”).
Examples of witty in a Sentence
Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003
… when she walked up to me and made a caustic remark on the principal's address of the morning, I couldn't help laughing, as she was obviously not only intelligent but very witty.
—Margaret A. Edwards, The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, 1994
Yet for all his solemnity, Hamlet was also the play's and Shakespeare's wittiest wit, with as many one-liners as any comic in the whole canon.
—Reed Whittemore, Pure Lives, 1988
a witty talk show host
a witty and sardonic blogger who never fails to amuse his legion of readers
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
While this gentler effort is unlikely to be similarly impactful, its witty humor and genuine emotionalism recall the best of Pixar, where its director worked as a story artist on such films as Wall-E and Incredibles 2.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Leo was magically witty and warm.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
If at any point María Luisa hesitated, doubtful about the tastefulness of this colossus, those doubts vanished the moment a representative of the city council delivered a witty and audacious explanation of the arch.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for witty
Cite this Entry
“Witty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witty. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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