wit
noun uk/wɪt/ us/wɪt/
(HUMOUR)
C1 [ S or U ]（说话的）幽默风趣
the ability to use words in a clever and humorous way
a woman of great intelligence and wit 非常聪明且说话风趣的女人
Her conversation sparkled with her own subtle blend of wit and charm. 她的谈话透着她特有的难以言传的风趣与魅力。
He was known for his dry/ready/sharp wit. 他以冷峻／机敏／机智的幽默而闻名。
See also: witticism
[ C ]说话风趣的人
a person who is skilled at using words in a clever and humorous way
Sydney Smith, a notable wit, once remarked that he never read a book before he reviewed it because it might prejudice his opinion of it. 悉尼‧史密斯，一个风趣出了名的家伙，曾说过他从来不在评论一部书之前去读它，因为这样会让他对这部书产生偏见。
- More examples
- He's not known for his coruscating wit.
- She had a laconic wit.
- His friends praised his generosity, wit and learning.
- This is a musical with polish and wit.
- He was charming, with a ready wit .
(INTELLIGENCE)
wits[ plural ] 机智;头脑
intelligence and the ability to think quickly
She learned to survive on her wits. 她学会了靠自己的头脑生存。
Idioms
be at your wits' endidiom （因为非常担忧、迷惘或恼火而）不知道下一步该怎么办
to be so worried, confused, or annoyed that you do not know what to do next
I'm at my wits' end. I don't know how to help him. 我已经没办法了，不知道该怎么帮他。
frighten/scare someone out of their witsidiom (also frighten/scare the wits out of someone) 把（某人）吓得魂不附体
to make someone very frightened
Don't shout like that! You scared me out of my wits. 别那么大喊大叫的！你都吓死我了。
gather your witsidiom (also regather your wits) 镇静下来
to make an effort to become calm and think more clearly
I spent the five-minute break between games gathering my wits and rethinking my strategy for the second half. 我利用中场休息的5分钟镇静下来，并重新思考下半场比赛的战术。
She paused to give herself time to regather her wits.
have/keep (all) your wits about youidiom 保持头脑冷静;随机应变
to be ready to think quickly in a situation and react to things that you are not expecting
Cycling is potentially very dangerous in the city - you have to keep your wits about you. 在城市里骑自行车可能会非常危险——你必须保持清醒的头脑。
not be beyond the wit of man/someoneidiom humorous mainlyUK 没有超出人／某人的才智范围；可以实现
to be possible to achieve
It shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to arrange for them both to be there at the same time. 安排他们两人同时到达那里不应该是不可能的事。
to witidiom formal 就是；即
used to make clearer or more particular something that you have already said
She's starting to see the effects of the disease, to wit: her memory is less reliable and she can't always find her way home after going somewhere. 她开始意识到这种疾病对她的影响，就是她的记忆变得不可靠，而且有时候出门之后找不到回家的路。