From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwitwit /wɪt/ ●○○ noun 1 amusing [uncountable]FUNNY the ability to say things that are clever and amusing a woman of great wit and charmquick/dry/sharp etc wit His sharp wit had them all smiling.2 amusing person [countable]FUNNY someone who is able to say clever and amusing things3 → wits4 → frighten/scare/terrify somebody out of their wits5 → gather/collect/recover etc your wits6 → pit your wits against somebody7 → be at your wits’ end8 → have the wit to do something9 → not be beyond the wit of somebody10 → to wit → battle of wits at battle1(5), → half-wit, → live by your wits at live1(15), → outwit, quick-witted, witty
Examples from the Corpus
wit• Rochester was well known as a wit in society circles.• But then Farah did everything with style and wit courtesy.• A dozen writers and wits used to gather at the Algonquin Hotel for lunch.• Oscar Wilde was a famous wit.• People love him for his wit and charm.• He remained still and tried to gather his wits.• He did not hide his opinions in wit as Franklin or in fuzziness as Washington had.• He seemed to have everything you could want in a man -- intelligence, wit, good looks and charm.• His limpid style and flashes of wit overcame Labour heckling, tickled the press and brought a smile to jaded Tory backbenchers.• She was totally guileless, honest, with a mordant sense of humour and sardonic wit.• People especially like to pat foals, and unfortunately usually on their face or head, which scares the wits out of them.• The wit and irony of the original novel has been lost in the film version.quick/dry/sharp etc wit• Revealing his conclusion would spoil the fun because Hitt tells his story with a deft touch and a sharp wit.• He was a dour Yankee, tall, confident, elegant, with a dry wit and aristocratic tastes.• He was a brilliant improviser with a dry wit and a masterly sense of timing.• Mr Andreotti has been cleared in two trials, and is now a chat show regular with a dry wit.• Shabba's dominance of reggae is due to his unique voice, strong personal style and quick wit.• He quickly built up a reputation for his dry wit.• Sylvie, tempered with Mathilde's quick wits and humour.• Ice creams and lollies seem to benefit from the sharp wit of its frosting.Origin wit Old English “knowledge, intelligence” 