Meaning & use
math whiz
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableinformalAmerican
A person who is very good at mathematics, especially at doing calculations or solving problems quickly.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a math whiz' or 'two math whizzes'; the plural is spelled -zzes.
Patterns
- a math whiz at something
- be a math whiz
My little sister is a math whiz — she finished the test in ten minutes.
The company hired a math whiz to check all the numbers.
He was a math whiz in school but struggled with writing essays.
nouncountableinformal
Someone who is extremely skilled at a particular activity or subject, used in the phrase 'a whiz at something'.
Grammar: Often in the pattern 'a whiz at + noun/-ing': a whiz at chess, a whiz at fixing bikes.
Patterns
- a whiz at something
- a whiz at doing something
She's a whiz at crossword puzzles.
Everyone says he's a whiz at getting people to agree.
Word forms
| plural | math whizzes |
|---|---|
| British spelling | maths whiz |
Common combinations
- a real math whiz
- His teacher says he's a real math whiz.
- a math whiz kid
- The newspaper called her a math whiz kid after she won the contest.
- be a whiz at math
- Both of my cousins are whizzes at math.
- a computer whiz
- He's a computer whiz who can fix any laptop.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mathematician
- A neutral, formal word for someone who studies or works with mathematics, not necessarily a fast calculator.
- genius
- Much stronger and broader: it praises overall intelligence, while 'math whiz' is limited to math skill and sounds casual.
- number cruncher
- Informal and often slightly disapproving; it describes someone who works with large amounts of data, not a gifted student.
Word family
Commonly confused: math whiz or quiz? math whiz or wiz?
math whiz vs quiz
'Whiz' ends with a /z/ sound and means a skilled person; 'quiz' ends with /s/ and means a short test.
math whiz vs wiz
'Wiz' is a casual spelling of the same word, seen in names like 'computer wiz', but 'whiz' is the standard spelling.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'math whiz' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Math whiz' is a countable noun for a person, so it needs an article and can be followed by 'at': a math whiz at solving equations. Option 2 uses it as a verb, option 3 compares it like an adjective, and option 4 mixes it with the verb 'whizzed'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “math whiz”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.