wit

noun

Quickness of mind, especially in understanding a situation or responding inventively.

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Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

Read this word in Dave's Corner

A Portrait in the Wrong Window · paragraph 4

Quickness of mind, especially in understanding a situation or responding inventively.

Closest synonyms

ingenuity

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Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See wit in use

The courier had the wit to trace the missing package by its unusual ribbon.

Dictionary practice example.

Its owner had the wit to look beneath the removable tray before agreeing.

From The cases in the attic.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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