Dictionary

witty en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈwɪti/ (UK)
• [ˈwɪɾi] (US)
• /ˈwɪti/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English witty, witti, from Old English wittiġ, witiġ, ġewittiġ (“clever, wise”), from Proto-West Germanic *witīg, *witag, from Proto-Germanic *witagaz, *wītagaz (“knowing, wise, clever”), equivalent to wit + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German wittich, gewittich (“knowing, clever, wise, understanding”), German witzig (“funny, witty”), Norwegian Bokmål vettig, Norwegian Nynorsk vittig (“witty”).

Meanings

1. Clever; amusingly ingenious.
   • His speech was both witty and informative.
2. Full of wit.
   • His frequent quips mark him as particularly witty.
3. Quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits.
   • She may have grown older, but she has grown no less witty.
4. (obsolete) Wise, having good judgement.
5. (archaic) Possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity; intelligent, skilful, ingenious.
   • It hath beene a witty invention[…]to establish and ordaine certaine vaine and worthles markes, therewith to honor and recompence vertue[…]. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 7, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

stupid · solemn · corny · uncomic · earnest · humorless · serious · unfunny · lame · hackneyed · witless · grave · brainless · sober · somber · lowbrow

Deriveds

unwitty · witticism · wittified · wittily · witticaster · wittiness

Relateds

joke · kitty witty · funny · intelligent

Synonyms

quick on the draw · lively · humorous · piquant · jocose · quick-witted · sharp · quick · diverting · witty · bright · jocular · entertaining · droll · amusing · tongue-in-cheek · facetious

Translations (91)

mi tātākī (clever; amusingly ingenious) · hy սրամիտ (clever; amusingly ingenious) · eo sprita (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · it spiritoso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · mi tātākī (full of wit) · ru сообрази́тельный (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · ru разу́мный (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · sv kvick (clever; amusingly ingenious) · la salsus (clever; amusingly ingenious) · sv fyndig (clever; amusingly ingenious) · es donoso (full of wit) · az hazırcavab (clever; amusingly ingenious) · da åndrig (full of wit) · de witzig (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · no åndrik (full of wit) · gd sgaiteach (clever; amusingly ingenious) · no vittig (full of wit) · it spiritoso (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · nl geestig (full of wit) · ru сообрази́тельный (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · es donairoso (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · ru остроу́мный (clever; amusingly ingenious) · es donairoso (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · es mordaz (full of wit) · bg разумен (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · de geistreich (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · fi sukkelasanainen (clever; amusingly ingenious) · fr fin (clever; amusingly ingenious) · grc ἀστεῖος (full of wit) · grc εὐτράπελος (clever; amusingly ingenious) · it convincente (clever; amusingly ingenious) · gd sgaiteach (full of wit) · ga tráthúil (full of wit) · es donoso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · ru у́мный (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · hy սրամիտ (full of wit) · cy ffraeth (full of wit) · es conceptuoso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · de originell (clever; amusingly ingenious) · es chispeante (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · grc ἀστεῖος (clever; amusingly ingenious) · pt sábio (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · ru смышлёный (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · de geistreich (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · bg остроумен (clever; amusingly ingenious) · it arguzia (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · es conceptuoso (full of wit) · es ingenioso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · fi naseva (clever; amusingly ingenious) · pt engenhoso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · id jenaka (clever; amusingly ingenious) · fi välkky (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · gl enxeñoso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · cs chytrý (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · cs vtipný (clever; amusingly ingenious) · grc εὐτράπελος (full of wit) · bg умен (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · de geistreich (clever; amusingly ingenious) · it faceto (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · pl dowcipny (clever; amusingly ingenious) · nl wijs (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · it arguto (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · it fine (clever; amusingly ingenious) · it spiritoso (full of wit) · bg остроумен (full of wit) · bg съобразителен (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · pt arguto (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · la argūtus (full of wit) · pt espirituoso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · de schlagfertig (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · nl geestig (clever; amusingly ingenious) · ru остроу́мный (full of wit) · de witzig (clever; amusingly ingenious) · ru смышлёный (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · fi välkky (full of wit) · hu szellemes (full of wit) · hu szellemes (clever; amusingly ingenious) · es donoso (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · fi terävä (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · de geistreich (full of wit) · bg духовяит (clever; amusingly ingenious) · fr spirituel (full of wit) · hy սրամիտ (possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity) · es donairoso (full of wit) · it ingegnoso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · it malizioso (clever; amusingly ingenious) · la facētus (clever; amusingly ingenious) · it faceto (clever; amusingly ingenious) · ga tráthúil (clever; amusingly ingenious) · es donoso (quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits) · es donairoso (clever; amusingly ingenious)