1
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor
- the pundits and political wits will get a lot of mileage out of the senator's latest gaffe
- card,
- comedian,
- comic,
- droll,
- farceur,
- funnyman,
- gagger,
- gagman,
- gagster,
- humorist,
- jester,
- joker,
- jokester,
- wag
2
the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters
- he doesn't even have the wit to know when to come in out of the rain
- common sense,
- discreetness,
- discretion,
- gumption
-
[chiefly dialect],
- horse sense,
- levelheadedness,
- nous
-
[chiefly British],
- policy,
- prudence,
- sense,
- sensibleness,
- wisdom
3 usually wits plural
the normal or healthy condition of the mental abilities
4
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters
- lacked the wit to see that the war was unwinnable
- acumen,
- astuteness,
- caginess
- (also cageyness),
- canniness,
- clear-sightedness,
- foxiness,
- hardheadedness,
- intelligence,
- keenness,
- knowingness,
- sharpness,
- shrewdness
- discernment,
- insight,
- perception,
- perceptiveness,
- perceptivity,
- percipience,
- sagaciousness,
- sagacity,
- sageness,
- sapience,
- wisdom
- artfulness,
- artifice,
- craft,
- craftiness,
- cunning,
- deviousness,
- guile,
- slickness,
- slyness,
- sneakiness,
- subtleness,
- subtlety,
- wiliness
- artlessness,
- greenness,
- guilelessness,
- ingenuousness,
- innocence,
- naiveness,
- naïveté
- (also naivete or naiveté),
- simplemindedness,
- simpleness,
- simplicity,
- unsophistication,
- unworldliness
- brainlessness,
- density,
- doltishness,
- dopiness,
- dumbness,
- fatuity,
- foolishness,
- half-wittedness,
- mindlessness,
- oafishness,
- obtuseness,
- senselessness,
- slowness,
- stupidity,
- stupidness,
- vacuity,
- witlessness
Frequently Asked Questions About wit
How does the noun wit differ from other similar words?
Some common synonyms of wit are humor, irony, repartee, sarcasm, and satire. While all these words mean "a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement," wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.
a playful wit
When would humor be a good substitute for wit?
The words humor and wit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.
a sense of humor
When could irony be used to replace wit?
The meanings of irony and wit largely overlap; however, irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.
the irony of the title
In what contexts can repartee take the place of wit?
In some situations, the words repartee and wit are roughly equivalent. However, repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.
a dinner guest noted for repartee
Where would sarcasm be a reasonable alternative to wit?
The synonyms sarcasm and wit are sometimes interchangeable, but sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.
given to heartless sarcasm
When can satire be used instead of wit?
The words satire and wit can be used in similar contexts, but satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.
a satire on the Congress
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Time Traveler for wit
The first known use of wit was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century