wit
gb/wˈɪt/ us/wˈɪt/
B2
Angličtina
~ 9900
Významy
0 významů
Podstatné jméno
B2
property
1
ability to be cleverly funny
The skill to say clever and funny things quickly.
Vzorec užití:
to use [one's] wit
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes confuse "wit" with "witty". "Wit" is a noun (He has great wit), while "witty" is an adjective (He is very witty). Another mistake is using "wit" instead of "humor" in common phrases; in modern English people say "sense of humor", not *"sense of wit".
Synonyma
humor (Focuses more on general funniness; does not always suggest being quick or clever with words.)
|
wittiness (Very close in meaning, but less common and more descriptive; often used to talk about the quality rather than the skill.)
|
cleverness (Suggests intelligence and smart thinking, not always focused on being funny.)
Antonyma
dullness (Suggests a lack of sparkle, cleverness, or amusement in speech or writing.)
|
seriousness (Focuses on a lack of joking or playfulness rather than lack of intelligence.)
Kolokace
quick wit
|sharp wit
|dry wit
|ready wit
|cutting wit
|rapier wit
Témata
humor
|communication
|personality
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- Her dry wit always makes the meetings more enjoyable.
- The script is full of sharp wit and clever dialogue.
- He charmed the audience with his quick wit and easy smile.
- The novel is praised for its wit and observation of everyday life.
- Even in a crisis, she never loses her sense of wit.
Učební příklady
- People like his quick wit in conversation.
- The teacher’s wit made the long class more fun.
- I enjoy TV shows that have a lot of wit in the dialogue.
- Her jokes show a natural wit.
- The book is famous for its sharp wit.
Podstatné jméno
C1
entity
2
person who is very witty
A person who often says clever and funny things.
Vzorec užití:
[someone] is a [wit]
Častá chyba:
Learners may think "wit" in this sense can be used with an article for general ability (e.g. *"He has a wit"); that is incorrect. Use "He is a wit" for the person, or "He has wit" / "He has a quick wit" for the ability.
Synonyma
joker (Informal; focuses on someone who makes jokes, not always clever or stylish.)
|
humorist (More formal; often used for writers or performers whose work is funny, not just for everyday conversation.)
Antonyma
bore (A person who is uninteresting and never amusing in conversation.)
Kolokace
born wit
|great wit
|famous wit
|noted wit
|sparkling wit
Témata
humor
|people
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- Oscar Wilde is remembered as a brilliant wit as well as a playwright.
- At parties he plays the role of the resident wit, entertaining everyone with one-liners.
- She’s a natural wit and always has a clever comment ready.
- In the office, Mark is the office wit, keeping everyone laughing during breaks.
- The talk show host invited several well-known wits to discuss the news.
Učební příklady
- Everyone says she is a real wit at work.
- He likes to be the wit at the dinner table.
- The writer was a famous wit in his time.
- At school, Tom became known as the class wit.
- People invited her to parties because she was a great wit.
Podstatné jméno
B2
property
3
quick and clear thinking ability
The power to think fast and clearly, especially when there is a problem or danger.
Vzorec užití:
to keep [one's] wits about [one]
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with humorous "wit". In phrases like "keep your wits about you" or "recover your wits", it means clear, quick thinking, not being funny. Also, this sense is usually used in the plural "wits" in fixed expressions.
Synonyma
presence of mind (Very close in meaning; often used specifically when someone reacts calmly and correctly in a sudden emergency.)
|
alertness (Focuses on being awake and paying attention, not always on making correct decisions under pressure.)
Antonyma
confusion (Describes a state where a person cannot think clearly or make good decisions.)
|
panic (Emotional state where someone loses control and cannot think clearly in danger.)
Kolokace
keep your wits about you
|have your wits about you
|recover your wits
|gather your wits
|lose your wits
Témata
thinking
|safety
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- You’ll need all your wit to get through that interview calmly.
- He kept his wits about him and followed the safety procedure exactly.
- After the accident, it took her a moment to recover her wits.
- The guide told us to keep our wits about us while hiking near the cliff edge.
- Thanks to her quick wit, she noticed the mistake before it caused a problem.
Učební příklady
- In a fire you must keep your wits about you.
- He lost his wits for a moment when the car stopped working.
- She used her wits to get out of the dangerous situation.
- The driver kept his wits and stopped the bus safely.
- You need your wits about you when you walk in a big, busy city.
Podstatné jméno
C1
state
4
normal sanity and self-control
Your normal, healthy mind and self-control, especially when you almost lose it because you are very scared or worried.
Vzorec užití:
to be scared out of [one's] wits
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes take the phrase "out of his wits" too literally. In expressions like "scared out of his wits" or "at my wits' end", it means someone is extremely afraid or stressed and feels close to losing normal mental control; it does not mean their intelligence has actually gone away.
Synonyma
sanity (Directly refers to being mentally healthy; more formal and medical-sounding.)
|
self-control (Focuses on control of behavior and emotions rather than on overall mental health.)
Antonyma
madness (Suggests a complete loss of sanity or extreme irrational behavior.)
|
breakdown (Refers to a serious loss of emotional and mental control, often from stress.)
Kolokace
out of his wits
|out of her wits
|at your wits' end
|scare someone out of their wits
|frighten someone out of their wits
Témata
emotions
|health
|stress
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- The horror movie scared her out of her wits.
- I’m at my wits’ end with this noisy neighbor.
- Lack of sleep is driving him out of his wits.
- She worried herself almost out of her wits before the exam results came.
- After three days of crying, the parents were nearly out of their wits with fear.
Učební příklady
- The loud noise scared him out of his wits.
- I am at my wits’ end with this problem.
- The parents were almost out of their wits with worry.
- The horror story drove her nearly out of her wits.
- Too much stress can push people out of their wits.
Sloveso
archaic
C2
action
5
archaic verb meaning "to know"
(Very old use) To know something or be aware of it.
Vzorec užití:
[someone] wot / wits [something]
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes think the verb "wit" can still be used like "know" in modern English. This is incorrect; outside of fixed phrases like "to wit" in legal writing, the verb is obsolete.
Synonyma
know (Modern, general verb for having information; replaces this archaic use of "wit".)
|
be aware of (Focuses on conscious knowledge of something; a common modern alternative in some contexts.)
Antonyma
ignore (Means to know something but choose not to pay attention to it, which is an opposite behavior to truly knowing and considering a fact.)
Kolokace
to wit (set phrase)
|God wot (archaic)
Témata
core_vocabulary
Příklady
- He answered, "I wot not," in the old translation of the text.
- The phrase "to wit" comes from an old verb meaning "to know."
- "God wot," he said, using a very old-fashioned expression.
- In older English, "I wot" meant "I know."
Učební příklady
- The old form "I wot" means "I know."
- You will only see this verb in very old books.
- Modern English speakers do not use "wit" as a verb today.
- The legal phrase "to wit" comes from this old verb.
- In normal speech, we say "know," not "wit."
Gramatika
Slovníkový tvar
wit
IPA
GB/wˈɪt/
US/wˈɪt/
Slabiky a přízvuk
wit (1 slabika)
Stress on 1st syllable (wit)
Tvary slova
Noun
- Base: wit
- Plural: wit, wits
Příbuzná slova
Forms
wits
noun
Core family
witty
adjective B2
Related words
wittily
adverb
wittiness
noun
outwit
verb
Negative and opposite forms
witless
adjective
unwitting
adjective
unwittingly
adverb
Advanced or less common
witticism
noun
Výrazy
at your wits' end
1/ˈæt jˈʊɹ wˈɪts ˈɛnd/
idiom
unable to see any solution
So worried or tired of a problem that you do not know what to do anymore.
Příklady
- After trying everything, I’m at my wits’ end with this computer.
- The parents were at their wits' end with their son's behavior.
- She felt at her wits’ end trying to balance work and childcare.
have your wits about you
1/hˈæv jˈʊɹ wˈɪts əbˈaʊt jˈu/
idiom
be alert and thinking clearly
To be alert and able to think clearly, especially when the situation is difficult or risky.
Příklady
- You need to have your wits about you when crossing this busy road.
- Tourists must have their wits about them to avoid scams.
- In that job, you must always have your wits about you.
keep your wits about you
1/kˈip jˈʊɹ wˈɪts əbˈaʊt jˈu/
idiom
stay calm and think clearly
To stay calm and think clearly when something is difficult, surprising, or dangerous.
Příklady
- You need to keep your wits about you when driving in heavy traffic.
- The streets are very busy at night, so keep your wits about you.
- During the emergency, she kept her wits about her and called for help immediately.
live by your wits
1/lˈɪv bˈaɪ jˈʊɹ wˈɪts/
idiom
survive using only cleverness
To survive by being clever and using tricks or smart ideas, not by having a normal job or support.
Příklady
- For years he lived by his wits, moving from city to city.
- Street kids often have to live by their wits.
- In the story, the hero lives by his wits after losing everything.
pit your wits against
1/pˈɪt jˈʊɹ wˈɪts əɡˈɛnst/
idiom
compete in intelligence with
To compete using your intelligence and problem-solving skills against a person or a difficult problem.
Příklady
- Chess allows you to pit your wits against strong opponents.
- She enjoyed pitting her wits against complex legal cases.
- In the quiz show, teams pit their wits against each other.
scare someone out of their wits
1/skˈɛɹ sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈaʊt əv ðˈɛɹ wˈɪts/
idiom
frighten someone very badly
To make someone extremely afraid.
Příklady
- That horror film scared me out of my wits.
- The sudden scream scared the children out of their wits.
- The turbulence on the flight scared her out of her wits.
to wit
1/tə wˈɪt/
fixed phrase
formal
formal "namely; that is to say"
A very formal way to say "namely" or "that is to say," used before giving exact details or a list.
Příklady
- The committee considered several options, to wit, delaying the vote or canceling it entirely.
- He owns three properties, to wit: a house, an apartment, and a small farm.
- The law protects all citizens, to wit, anyone born or naturalized in the country.
wit and wisdom
1/wˈɪt ˈænd wˈɪzdəm/
fixed phrase
clever humor plus good sense
Clever humor together with good, practical judgment or life knowledge.
Příklady
- The book is full of wit and wisdom about family life.
- Her speech combined wit and wisdom in equal measure.
- He was admired for his wit and wisdom on the radio show.