What's the difference between wit and witless?

Wit


Definition:

  • (inf.) of Wit
  • (n.) To know; to learn.
  • (v.) Mind; intellect; understanding; sense.
  • (v.) A mental faculty, or power of the mind; -- used in this sense chiefly in the plural, and in certain phrases; as, to lose one's wits; at one's wits' end, and the like.
  • (v.) Felicitous association of objects not usually connected, so as to produce a pleasant surprise; also. the power of readily combining objects in such a manner.
  • (v.) A person of eminent sense or knowledge; a man of genius, fancy, or humor; one distinguished for bright or amusing sayings, for repartee, and the like.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) In a poll before the debate, 48% predicted that Merkel, who will become Europe's longest serving leader if re-elected on 22 September, would emerge as the winner of the US-style debate, while 26% favoured Steinbruck, a former finance minister who is known for his quick-wit and rhetorical skills, but sometimes comes across as arrogant.
  • (2) We are already witnessing a wholly understandable uprising of protest.
  • (3) Among the guests invited to witness the flypast were six second world war RAF pilots, dubbed the “few” by the wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill.
  • (4) Maguire's colleagues rushed to her side, some administering first aid while others held her attacker, witnesses said.
  • (5) That’s when you heard the ‘boom’.” Teto Wilson also claimed to have witnessed the shooting, posting on Facebook on Sunday morning that he and some friends had been at the Elk lodge, outside which the shooting took place.
  • (6) Any party or witness is entitled to use Welsh in any magistrates court in Wales without prior notice.
  • (7) Solzhenitsyn was acknowledged as a "truth-teller" and a witness to the cruelties of Stalinism of unusual power and eloquence.
  • (8) Unfortunately, under the Faustian pact we have witnessed a double whammy: fiscal policy being used to reduce government spending when the economy is already depressed.
  • (9) John Carver witnessed signs of much-needed improvement from the visitors in a purposeful spell either side of the interval but it was not enough to prevent a fifth successive Premier League defeat.
  • (10) Two officers who witnessed the shooting of unarmed 43-year-old Samuel DuBose in Cincinnati will not face criminal charges, despite seemingly corroborating a false claim that DuBose’s vehicle dragged officer Ray Tensing before he was fatally shot.
  • (11) He could be the target of more punishing wit, as when Michael Foot, noting a tendency to be tougher abroad than at home, called him "a belligerent Bertie Wooster without even a Jeeves to restrain him."
  • (12) Thanks to the groundbreaking technology and heavy investment of a new breed of entertainment retailers offering access services, we are witnessing a revolution in the entertainment industry, benefitting consumers, creators and content owners alike.” ERA acts as a forum for the physical and digital retail sectors of music, and represents over 90% of the of the UK’s entertainment retail market.
  • (13) The observed complications were post-labor hemorrhage (3.1%), polysystolia (4.1%) and vomiting (5.2%), without significant difference with the witness group.
  • (14) At one, in the Gun and Dog pub in Leeds on Tuesday, a witness described how the meeting descended into chaos when one of the rebels smashed a glass and threatened to attack Griffin supporter Mark Collett.
  • (15) My mother told me not to cry.” He has since witnessed the transformation of Hagere Selam.
  • (16) Imagine witnessing a game of bridge being played in the Cabinet War Rooms in the year 2072 AD.
  • (17) The contrast between the two plans is best witnessed from the small park between the Trade Centre and the 1930s National Assembly, one of the few survivors of the earthquake.
  • (18) Results indicate that 75% of the participating boys and 10% of participating girls had witnessed the shooting, stabbing, robbing, or killing of another person in their own lives.
  • (19) FWA chairman Andy Dunn said: "Those members who have been fortunate enough to be working at a match involving Luis Suárez have witnessed an astonishing talent first-hand.
  • (20) The main pregnancy resolution was vaginal via; only 6.3% of the study group subjected cesarean section against 10.3% of the witness group and the most frecuent indication was stationary dilation (1 and 8 cases respectively).

Witless


Definition:

  • (a.) Destitute of wit or understanding; wanting thought; hence, indiscreet; not under the guidance of judgment.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) He ends the song with something that is ostensibly scat but sounds like an old man being scared witless by a spider.
  • (2) "But she also divides the critics like that other old-school oddball, Norman Wisdom, who was written off as a witless, irritating idiot with a penchant for falling over by some, and seen as a comic genius by others."
  • (3) More often than not it's passed around at the back for a while, then eventually hoofed witlessly up one of the flanks, where any slim chance of creating bother is immediately lost.
  • (4) In the end Chelsea needed help to secure the win – and, not for the first time this season, Redknapp’s men came to their opponent’s aid, Vargas giving away a penalty with a witless shunt on Hazard in the 75th minute.
  • (5) The witless grandstanding by local MP Greg Mulholland in his call for NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh to resign is precisely the sort of intervention that is least helpful.
  • (6) It is six years, after all, since 2009, the year in which the comedian’s blossoming career and reputation took an abrupt and savage hit, thanks to his unloved eponymous sketch show with Gavin & Stacey co-star Mathew Horne (“ puerile and excruciating ”, according to the New Statesman), a critically mauled movie, Lesbian Vampire Killers (“a witless mess”, said the Telegraph), and a calamitous performance hosting the Brit awards with Horne, which even Corden has acknowledged was “shit, because of ego”.
  • (7) Oh come on, you say: no leading politician would be as witless as to do that.
  • (8) In a fascinating experiment at the University of Limerick a few years ago, participants were first bored witless by being made to do a repetitive task and then asked to suggest punishments for an imaginary Englishman convicted of beating up an Irishman.
  • (9) David Cameron and his cabinet currently tell me to be scared witless by Ebola, an attack from Isis, a resurgent Russia and global warming (sometimes).
  • (10) He slips the ball forward to Whittaker, but with dark blue shirts in the box, the full back blooters a witless effort miles over the bar from a silly distance.
  • (11) Cameron's critical failure to close a deal with Clegg on 25 extra Tory seats, coupled with his witless aid to Ukip, makes a Labour return to power more likely.
  • (12) Liverpool reached Wembley the way their journey in the Capital One Cup had begun against Carlisle United; requiring penalties to save them from a witless, careless performance that only improved once the Wales midfielder replaced Kolo Touré in the 85th minute.
  • (13) And the truth is, most of them were never in a recording studio again (2007) ON STEPHEN GATELY BEING GAY I had no idea… on my mother's life (2008) ON USING A "BANG" (BAND AUTOMATIC NAME GENERATOR) Some of the suggestions I got were Perky Gravy, Silk Radius, Witless and Curly Spam (2007) ON THE BEST THING ABOUT THE X FACTOR It's real, everything is real, nothing is staged (2007) ON GIRL BANDS There's a common perception that behind the scenes it's all catfights and screaming rows.
  • (14) Farron described abolition of the 50p rate as "morally repugnant" and "economically witless".
  • (15) Not surprisingly, the Russell Group is delighted, the National Union of Students is apoplectic and the Lib Dems are scared witless.
  • (16) Perhaps failing to reach the Champions League is a mercy: there is no telling what top-drawer continental opposition would do to this bloodless, witless Celtic team.
  • (17) No, when you're looking after what is in effect a witless midget with a death wish, some things go out of the window, including dressing yourself.
  • (18) ML BBC2 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Glue Those keen to write off all homegrown E4 dramas as witless Skins knock-offs would do well to check out Glue.
  • (19) Now it has, and markets are scared witless as a result.
  • (20) They are dark, unseen enemies, come from far away – and they are scaring us witless.

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