Meaning & use
sharp-witted
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Able to think and react quickly and cleverly.
Grammar: Gradable; you can say 'very sharp-witted' or 'more sharp-witted'. It usually comes before a noun or after 'be'.
Patterns
- a sharp-witted person
- be sharp-witted
- sharp-witted enough to do something
She is a sharp-witted lawyer who never misses a trick.
The sharp-witted detective solved the case in a day.
He was sharp-witted enough to see the danger immediately.
Word forms
| comparative | more sharp-witted |
|---|---|
| superlative | most sharp-witted |
Common combinations
- a sharp-witted remark
- Her sharp-witted remark made everyone laugh.
- sharp-witted and funny
- The host was sharp-witted and funny throughout the show.
- sharp-witted observer
- As a sharp-witted observer, she noticed every detail.
Synonyms and how they differ
- quick-witted
- Very close in meaning, but 'quick-witted' emphasizes speed of response, while 'sharp-witted' emphasizes cleverness and precision.
- clever
- More general and common; 'sharp-witted' suggests mental sharpness in conversation or argument.
- astute
- Formal and often used for judgment in business or politics; 'sharp-witted' is more about fast, clever thinking.
Opposites
Word family
- sharp-wittedly adverb
- In a sharp-witted way; rare.
- sharp-wittedness noun
- The quality of being sharp-witted; rare.
Commonly confused: sharp-witted or sharp-tongued?
sharp-witted vs sharp-tongued
Means saying unkind or critical things, not thinking quickly; a sharp-tongued person may be clever but is often harsh.
Practice
She gave a ______ reply that surprised everyone with its cleverness.
Choose one answer.
'Sharp-witted' fits a clever, quick reply. 'Sharp-tongued' means unkind in speech, 'sharp-eyed' means good at noticing details, and 'sharp-edged' describes a physical edge.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sharp-witted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.