From Middle English witted or ywitted, formed from wit plus -ed. The noun wit goes back to Old English wit or gewit, meaning understanding or intellect.
From Middle English witted or ywitted, formed from wit plus -ed. The noun wit goes back to Old English wit or gewit, meaning understanding or intellect.
What does witted mean?
Witted usually means having a specified kind of wit or intelligence, especially in compounds such as quick-witted or dull-witted.
Is witted usually used alone?
No. Witted is most natural in compounds. Alone, witty or clever is often the better modern word.
Is quick-witted hyphenated?
Yes. Standard dictionary style treats quick-witted as a hyphenated compound.
Is witted the same as witty?
Not exactly. Witty describes clever humor, while witted usually marks a kind of mental quickness or dullness in a compound.
Can witted be compared?
Bare witted is not normally compared. Compounds can be compared when the sentence calls for it, as in quicker-witted.
Is witted a verb?
Witted can also be an archaic past form of the verb wit, meaning knew or understood, but this use is rare today.
What is the opposite of witted?
Common opposites in compounds include slow-witted, dull-witted, and dim-witted.
Where does witted come from?
Witted comes from wit plus -ed, with Middle English forms such as witted and ywitted.
How is witted pronounced?
Witted is pronounced /ˈwɪtɪd/, with stress on the first syllable.
What register is witted?
The compound adjective is neutral, though a little formal or literary in some compounds. The verb-form sense is archaic.