Witted describes how quickly and cleverly someone thinks. It almost always appears with another word in front of it. A quick-witted person thinks fast and gives smart responses in the moment. When someone makes a joke and you immediately fire back with an even funnier reply, that's being quick-witted.

You might also hear slow-witted, which describes someone who takes longer to understand things or catch on to jokes. A dim-witted person struggles to think clearly or make good decisions. Half-witted is an insulting word that means foolish or not very smart, like a half-baked plan that wasn't thought through.

Being quick-witted means thinking fast when it counts: coming up with the right answer during a quiz bowl competition, recognizing a solution to a sudden problem, or making a clever observation that makes everyone laugh. Some people need time to think deeply, which is valuable too, and quick-witted people shine when speed matters in a situation.