outwit en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /aʊtˈwɪt/ (UK, US)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *ūt- Old English ūt- Middle English ut- English out- Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *wóyde Proto-Germanic *witaną Proto-West Germanic *witan Old English witan Middle English witen English wit English outwit From out- + wit.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To get the better of; to outsmart, to beat in a competition of wits.
But my dear Lady Teazle 'tis your own fault if you suffer it—when a Husband entertains a groundless suspicion of his Wife and withdraws his confidence from her—the original compact is broke and she owes it to the Honour of her sex to endeavour to outwit him—
1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, IV.iii:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| outwits | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| outwitted | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| outwitted | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| outwitting | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
outsmart · outfox · circumvent · overreach · outguess
Translations (10)
fr être plus malin (to beat in a battle of wits) · pl przechytrzać (to beat in a battle of wits) · es ser más listo que (to beat in a battle of wits) · es aventajar (to beat in a battle of wits) · pl przechytrzyć (to beat in a battle of wits) · sv överlista (to beat in a battle of wits) · es burlar (to beat in a battle of wits) · es engañar (to beat in a battle of wits) · mi rorerau (to beat in a battle of wits) · mi whakawareware (to beat in a battle of wits)