wit /wɪt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: 'knowledge, intelligence' ]
1 . AMUSING [uncountable] the ability to say things that are clever and amusing:
a woman of great wit and charm
quick/dry/sharp etc wit
His sharp wit had them all smiling.
2 . AMUSING PERSON [countable] someone who is able to say clever and amusing things
3 . wits [plural] your ability to think quickly and make the right decisions:
Alone and penniless, I was forced to live on my wits.
keep/have your wits about you (=be ready to think quickly and do what is necessary in a difficult situation)
4 . frighten/scare/terrify somebody out of their wits informal to frighten someone very much:
I was terrified out of my wits at the very idea.
5 . gather/collect/recover etc your wits to make yourself think about what you are going to do next after you have been surprised by something:
I felt helpless, but tried to gather my wits.
6 . pit your wits against somebody to compete against someone in a test of knowledge or intelligence
7 . be at your wits’ end to be very upset and not know what to do, because you have tried everything possible to solve a problem
8 . have the wit to do something formal to be clever enough to know the right thing to do:
Thankfully, Reid had the wit to see what was wrong with the plan.
9 . not be beyond the wit of somebody formal not be too difficult for someone to do:
It’s surely not beyond the wit of man to come up with a solution.
10 . to wit old use formal used to introduce additional information which makes it clear exactly who or what you are talking about SYN namely :
This does not stop me giving you a little treat. To wit, an invitation to dine at Brown’s.
⇨ battle of wits at ↑ battle 1 (5), ⇨ ↑ half-wit , ⇨ live by your wits at ↑ live 1 (15), ⇨ ↑ outwit , ↑ quick-witted , ↑ witty