witty

[ wit-ee ]

adjective

wittier, wittiest.

1. possessing wit in speech or writing; amusingly clever in perception and expression:

   a witty writer.

   Synonyms: brilliant, original, funny, droll

   Antonyms: stupid, dull

2. characterized by wit:

   a witty remark.

   Synonyms: brilliant, original, funny, droll

   Antonyms: stupid, dull

3. British Dialect. intelligent; clever

witty

/ ˈwɪtɪ /

adjective

1. characterized by clever humour or wit
2. archaic.
   intelligent or sensible

Derived Forms

• ˈwittily, adverb
• ˈwittiness, noun

Other Word Forms

• wit·ti·ly adverb
• wit·ti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of witty¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English wittig originally, “wise”; wit ¹, -y ¹

Synonym Study

See humorous ¹.

Example Sentences

Journalists and some organizations have been edited out or been essentially chilled from being too provocative and critical for him to give a witty, brazen, but seldom truthful answer….

From Salon

Visitors arriving by train were treated to this witty meditation on the scourge of Britain's seaside towns, equal parts warning and celebration.

From BBC

In addition to “The Bondsman” and a slate of future endeavors, there’s his Instagram where his 4.5 million followers catch witty, musical clips of him and his actor wife, Kyra Sedgwick, and other family members.

From Los Angeles Times

The fast, witty sales talk he mastered there stood him in good stead throughout a motor racing career that had its share of success but was all too often a struggle to survive.

From BBC

The title positions the perceptually fluctuating work as existing outside routine contemporary aspirations; instead, it occupies a witty place in a vaguely absurd counterculture.

From Los Angeles Times