Definition of quick-wittednext
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind the quick-witted child easily figured out the trick to making the toy work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word quick-witted distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of quick-witted are alert, clever, and intelligent. While all these words mean "mentally keen or quick," quick-witted implies promptness in finding answers in debate or in devising expedients in moments of danger or challenge.

no match for his quick-witted opponent

When is alert a more appropriate choice than quick-witted?

Although the words alert and quick-witted have much in common, alert stresses quickness in perceiving and understanding.

alert to new technology

When is it sensible to use clever instead of quick-witted?

While the synonyms clever and quick-witted are close in meaning, clever implies native ability or aptness and sometimes suggests a lack of more substantial qualities.

clever with words

Where would intelligent be a reasonable alternative to quick-witted?

The synonyms intelligent and quick-witted are sometimes interchangeable, but intelligent stresses success in coping with new situations and solving problems.

an intelligent person could assemble it fast

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quick-witted Much like your mercurial nature, the Siamese is famously vocal, clever and always curious, mirroring your quick-witted and restless nature. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025 Yazid’s compendious memory included a remarkable store of cricket scores and batting averages and matches and catches and stumpings, all the minutiae that a quick-witted boy poring over the newspaper in a tea stall between customers might graze upon. Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025 The first season, set in London, follows Helen Webb (Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. Peter White, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2025 This powerhouse of a cast makes sure the audience is kept laughing with their quick-witted banter and clever physical comedy. Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quick-witted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quick-witted
Adjective
  • In addition, Kravitz regularly serves as an appeal host, supporting nonprofit organizations in raising funds through emotionally intelligent storytelling and crowd engagement.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
  • An authority figure might be quite impressed by your speedy progress or intelligent questions.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • What followed was very clever and fun.
    John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
  • For progressives, the undisputed master of the viral protest song is the thirty-three-year-old folksinger Jesse Welles, who makes videos of himself standing in a field, singing clever miniature tunes about the hypocrisies of the health-care industry, tech billionaires, ICE.
    Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The gold standard of smart watches, the Apple Watch can do just about everything your iPhone can, all from your wrist.
    John Monaco, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
  • At the end of the day, Amodei said, people still enjoy interacting with other humans, with very smart and capable AI complementing them.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Use citrus peels or baking soda with vinegar for a quick and natural way to clean and deodorize the garbage disposal effectively.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Trump’s response to this has been to float policies that promise a quick hit of relief.
    Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • What India is doing could also be mirrored in other emerging economies, which may be able to harness increasingly cheap wind and solar at an even faster rate to power their economic development, Bond said.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Performance gains in cars, drones, and robots In laboratory tests, the system processed motion data four times faster than current state-of-the-art algorithms.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Bedding purists can choose between brilliant white or a no-nonsense grey—either way, expect crisp bedding meant for airy nights.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Despite not being in his most technically brilliant form, Malinin was a crowd favorite at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, which was packed to the rafters with fans waving American flags.
    Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • That's partly correlation -- healthier people are more likely to work than sicker people -- but staying in the workplace can also help people stay sharp, according to Debra Whitman, chief public policy officer for AARP.
    Paige Winfield Cunningham The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The tension in a luge sled allows athletes to manipulate it just so, digging in the runners and steering with sharp precision around curves.
    Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Quick-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quick-witted. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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