When we call someone witty, we are typically ascribing to them the quality of clever humor. This has not always been the case: witty (and the word it is formed from, wit) originally referred to intelligence or good judgment. Although the “mentally capable” meaning of witty has largely become obsolete, we still see vestiges of it in various expressions involving wit, such as wit and wisdom or out of one’s wits. Another phrase, to wit, meaning “that is, namely,” comes directly from the Middle English to witen (“to know”).
humorous applies broadly to anything that evokes usually genial laughter and may contrast with witty in suggesting whimsicality or eccentricity.
humorous anecdotes
facetious stresses a desire to produce laughter and may be derogatory in implying dubious or ill-timed attempts at wit or humor.
facetious comments
jocular implies a usually habitual fondness for jesting and joking.
a jocular fellow
jocose is somewhat less derogatory than facetious in suggesting habitual waggishness or playfulness.
jocose proposals
Example Sentences
We'd kept everything witty and cool, until the air between us was so ironized that to say anything in earnest would have been a breach of manners, even of trust. Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003… when she walked up to me and made a caustic remark on the principal's address of the morning, I couldn't help laughing, as she was obviously not only intelligent but very witty. Margaret A. Edwards, The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, 1994Yet for all his solemnity, Hamlet was also the play's and Shakespeare's wittiest wit, with as many one-liners as any comic in the whole canon. Reed Whittemore, Pure Lives, 1988 a witty talk show host a witty and sardonic blogger who never fails to amuse his legion of readers
Recent Examples on the WebTaub creates a score that should be a keeper with melodies that linger and lyrics that are both witty and insightful. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 30 Aug. 2022 Moiro Konchellah was witty and commanding as the Wiz. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2022 The conversations between the lovers in this 2020 movie are witty and thoughtful, and no one is yelling or cursing at one another. John Blake, CNN, 19 June 2022 The result, which won and deserved a cheering, standing ovation on Friday, was witty and engaging, and flowed seamlessly. Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2022 Very witty, Chris, the, uh, the hurdle is that the, the city kind of hates it. Staff Reports, cleveland, 11 Aug. 2022 An adventure in the wild bristling with tensely witty setpieces and anchored by two exceptional performances, the film is unendingly charming without ever crossing into unrealistically rosy territories. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2022 Not many witty back-and-forths, many awkward silences. Amel Mukhtar, Vogue, 2 Aug. 2022 That is, except for this delightfully witty excursion from Warner Bros., which may prove a boon to family participations, a bonanza to cross-country Auto Club sales and certainly a boost to box-office admissions lines. Duane Bygre, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 July 2022 See More