Collocations for wit - noun
1. clever use of words
ADJ.
great | quick, ready | acerbic, barbed, biting, caustic, dry, sarcastic, sardonic, scathing, sharp, wicked | gentle | dazzling, sparkling
VERB + WIT
have
He had a dry wit.
He had a dry wit.
PHRASES
wit and wisdom
a book full of the wit and wisdom of his 30 years in politics
a book full of the wit and wisdom of his 30 years in politics
2. intelligence
ADJ.
native
She had to use all her native wit to convince the police.
She had to use all her native wit to convince the police.
VERB + WIT
have
I hope he''s got the wit to take the key with him.
I hope he''s got the wit to take the key with him.
PHRASES
beyond the wit of man
(= impossible) It should not be beyond the wit of man to resolve this dispute
(= impossible) It should not be beyond the wit of man to resolve this dispute
3. wits: ability to think quickly
VERB + WIT
gather, recover
She couldn''t seem to gather her wits and tell us what had happened.
She couldn''t seem to gather her wits and tell us what had happened.
blunt, dull
Living alone in the country had dulled his wits.
Living alone in the country had dulled his wits.
sharpen
PHRASES
a battle of wits
The strike developed into a battle of wits between management and workers.
The strike developed into a battle of wits between management and workers.
have/keep your wits about you
They do tough interviews so you''ll need to have your wits about you.
They do tough interviews so you''ll need to have your wits about you.
pit your wits against sb
Celebrity teams pit their wits against each other in this lively quiz show.
Celebrity teams pit their wits against each other in this lively quiz show.