Virgil ThomsonWolcott Gibbs
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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
Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025
He should also be credited for having the wittiest one-liner of the night.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025
The marketing folks may be pushing it as the first real rom-com in years, but Song wisely and adeptly sidesteps all the tropes of the typical rom-com to deliver a smart, witty film about finding dates and mates in 21st century America.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
The film’s meticulous puppet animation and witty storytelling have already garnered significant acclaim, earning it a spot at the Unifrance Short Film Awards.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 7 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Witty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witty. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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