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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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 As a student of astrology and as a Gemini sun—curious, quick-witted, charming with a penchant for dialectical analysis—who better to engage in this purely scientific endeavor? Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025 The airline often shares puns and quick-witted replies on its X account. Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025 The best way to describe the bag is by characterizing your quick-witted, polished, and Post-it-note-loving older sister. Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025 The living twin, who describes himself as not the most quick-witted or ambitious person, couldn’t always relate to his brother. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quick-witted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quick-witted
Adjective
  • Talos, Pandora and other artificially intelligent entities had already set the stage for humans to explore this idea.
    Sofia Giannuzzi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Yes, Love Hotel might be Bravo’s most emotionally intelligent experiment yet.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The clever exploration of contrasts — marrying delicate fabrics, soft palettes, and masculine silhouettes — was the label’s unique formula for winning over fashion’s insiders, including powerhouse Moda Operandi.
    Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The film follows 11-year-old Caroline (Johnson), a clever, sharp-eyed girl navigating a life of excitement and peril as a shoplifter with her mom Jocelyn (Williams).
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • An increasing number of smart, eco-conscious entrepreneurs are putting Earth first by utilizing unwanted materials that would otherwise end up as trash.
    Lisa Jhung, Outside Online, 22 Apr. 2025
  • But smart leaders know that not all bets are created equal—and not all uncertainty plays by the same rules.
    Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Telegraphed data arrived in the morning, and FitzRoy made quick extrapolations from his knowledge of storm theories, sending forecasts an hour later.
    Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Polite start, quick stall Even after Trump was elected on the promise of high tariffs, relations with Beijing got off to a polite start.
    Beijing and Washington Bureaus, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • John Taylor, mayor of New Fairview, told the committee that Wise County is one of the fastest growing counties in Texas with a 20% population increase since 2020.
    Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2025
  • In response, leading innovators are creating faster chips and more powerful processors, even as quantum computing emerges.
    Charles Yeomans, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s not going to be enough against Luka Dončić, who was brilliant again, and LeBron James, who nearly had a triple-double.
    The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Étoile doesn’t just make that argument, in guest appearances by artists who bridge high and low, like David Byrne, and shouting out the brilliant documentarian Frederick Wiseman in a scene set at the Manhattan cinema mecca Film Forum.
    Judy Berman, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • As part of that effort, Democrats are hoping to exploit the sharp GOP divisions over the value of Medicaid and how deeply Republicans should cut its funding.
    Mike Lillis, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Such a sharp rise in government bond yields over a period of weeks is relatively unusual.
    Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quick-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quick-witted. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on quick-witted

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!