Meaning & use
wittily
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Meanings
adverb
In a clever and amusing way, especially using words.
Grammar: Modifies a verb or whole clause: she replied wittily.
Patterns
- say something wittily
- reply wittily
- write wittily
She wittily compared the meeting to a slow-motion car crash.
He wittily deflected the awkward question with a joke about the weather.
The essay wittily exposes the absurdity of office life.
adverb
In a way that shows quick, inventive intelligence.
Grammar: Often used to praise a clever solution or remark.
Patterns
- solve something wittily
- wittily observed
The problem was wittily solved with a piece of string and a paperclip.
She wittily observed that the only thing missing was a working printer.
Common combinations
- wittily observed
- He wittily observed that the queue moved faster when no one was looking.
- wittily put
- As one critic wittily put it, the film is two hours of beautiful boredom.
- wittily reply
- She wittily replied that she had been practicing her patience for years.
- wittily written
- The column is wittily written and never dull.
Synonyms and how they differ
- humorously
- Focuses on being funny; wittily adds the idea of cleverness and quick thinking.
- cleverly
- Emphasizes intelligence but not necessarily humor; wittily always suggests amusement.
- amusingly
- Means in an entertaining way; wittily is sharper and more verbal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: wittily or wittingly?
wittily vs wittingly
Wittingly means knowingly or intentionally; wittily means in a clever, funny way. They sound similar but have very different meanings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'wittily' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Wittily describes a clever, amusing remark, so 'replied that his wallet was on a diet' fits. Option 0 is about solving a math problem, which is clever but not amusing; option 2 is just walking; option 3 is a cat sleeping, which has no wit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wittily”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.