wits
1 Britishplural noun
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(sometimes singular) the ability to reason and act, esp quickly (esp in the phrase have one's wits about one )
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(sometimes singular) right mind, sanity (esp in the phrase out of one's wits )
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at a loss to know how to proceed
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obsolete the five senses or mental faculties
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to gain a livelihood by craftiness and cunning rather than by hard work
noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I am reasonably educated, and at 64, I still have most of my wits.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026
They will need their ethical, intellectual and political wits about them to craft reforms and regulations, and to restore a sense of confidence in the department’s independence.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026
She needs more medical attention than he, but both have their wits about them.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
We can see that Shakespeare really was an upstart compared to the Oxford and Cambridge wits, but also how he cobbled together a practical, hands-on education in Shoreditch.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
On this occasion Hercules had only his wits to trust to; he had to give all his strength to supporting that mighty load.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
