Meanings
witty1
adjectivewitty (comparative wittier, superlative wittiest)
comparative wittier · superlative wittiest
- Full of wit.
His frequent quips mark him as particularly witty.
- Quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits.
She may have grown older, but she has grown no less witty.
- obsoleteWise, having good judgement.
- archaicPossessing 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
Witty2
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*witagaz
- Proto-West Germanic*witīg
- Old Englishwittiġ
- Middle Englishwitty
- Englishwitty
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀστεῖος, εὐτράπελος
- ἀστεῖος (asteîos)clever; amusingly ingenious
- εὐτράπελος (eutrápelos)clever; amusingly ingenious
- ἀστεῖος (asteîos)full of wit
- εὐτράπελος (eutrápelos)full of wit
Bulgarian остроумен, духовяит
- остроумен (ostroumen)clever; amusingly ingenious
- духовяит (duhovjait)clever; amusingly ingenious
- остроумен (ostroumen)full of wit
- съобразителен (săobrazitelen)quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- умен (umen)possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
- разумен (razumen)possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Czech vtipný, chytrý
- vtipnýclever; amusingly ingenious
- chytrýquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
Danish åndrig
- åndrigfull of wit
Dutch geestig, geestig
- geestigclever; amusingly ingenious
- geestigfull of wit
- wijspossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Esperanto sprita
- spritapossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Finnish naseva, sukkelasanainen
- nasevaclever; amusingly ingenious
- sukkelasanainenclever; amusingly ingenious
- välkkyfull of wit
- välkkyquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- teräväpossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
French fin, spirituel
- finclever; amusingly ingenious
- spirituelfull of wit
German geistreich, witzig
- geistreichclever; amusingly ingenious
- witzigclever; amusingly ingenious
- originellclever; amusingly ingenious
- geistreichfull of wit
- geistreichquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- schlagfertigquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- witzigpossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
- geistreichpossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Hungarian szellemes, szellemes
- szellemesclever; amusingly ingenious
- szellemesfull of wit
Indonesian jenaka
- jenakaclever; amusingly ingenious
Irish tráthúil, tráthúil
- tráthúilclever; amusingly ingenious
- tráthúilfull of wit
Italian ingegnoso, fine
- ingegnosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- fineclever; amusingly ingenious
- convincenteclever; amusingly ingenious
- maliziosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- facetoclever; amusingly ingenious
- spiritosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- spiritosofull of wit
- arguziaquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- spiritosoquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- argutopossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
- facetopossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Latin facētus, salsus
- facētusclever; amusingly ingenious
- salsusclever; amusingly ingenious
- argūtusfull of wit
Māori tātākī, tātākī
- tātākīclever; amusingly ingenious
- tātākīfull of wit
Norwegian vittig, åndrik
- vittigfull of wit
- åndrikfull of wit
Polish dowcipny
- dowcipnyclever; amusingly ingenious
Portuguese engenhoso, espirituoso
- engenhosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- espirituosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- argutoquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- sábiopossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Russian остроу́мный, остроу́мный
- остроу́мный (ostroúmnyj)clever; amusingly ingenious
- остроу́мный (ostroúmnyj)full of wit
- смышлёный (smyšljónyj)quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- сообрази́тельный (soobrazítelʹnyj)quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- у́мный (úmnyj)possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
- смышлёный (smyšljónyj)possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
- сообрази́тельный (soobrazítelʹnyj)possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
- разу́мный (razúmnyj)possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Scottish Gaelic sgaiteach, sgaiteach
- sgaiteachclever; amusingly ingenious
- sgaiteachfull of wit
Spanish ingenioso, donairoso
- ingeniosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- donairosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- donosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- conceptuosoclever; amusingly ingenious
- mordazfull of wit
- donairosofull of wit
- donosofull of wit
- conceptuosofull of wit
- donairosoquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- donosoquick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits
- chispeantepossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
- donairosopossessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity
Swedish fyndig, kvick
- fyndigclever; amusingly ingenious
- kvickclever; amusingly ingenious
Welsh ffraeth
- ffraethfull of wit
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with witty
citycommitteekittyvaliditypitygrittybittypittynittydittyittytwittyprofunditybittieBoulder CityCenter Citycentral cityChristmas Citycontrol cityFarmer Cityflittyfree citygittyGove City
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
witty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/witty
MLA
“witty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/witty. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “witty,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/witty.
Source: witty on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.