In dictionaries:
wits end
University Wits
a phrase used to name a group of late 16th-century English playwrights and pamphleteers who were educated at the universities (Oxford or Cambridge) and who became popular secular writers.
Five wits
Faculties of perception and intellect.
hartford wits
a group of young writers from Connecticut in the late 18th century including John Trumbull, Timothy Dwight, David Humphreys, Joel Barlow, and Lemuel Hopkins.
battle of wits
Competition using intelligence and strategy.
half wits
Individuals with below average intelligence.
have wits about
Maintaining awareness and quick thinking.
keep wits about
Maintain calm, stay mentally sharp.
at wits end
Completely overwhelmed, unable to cope.
be at wits end
Utterly frustrated, unable to solve.
be frightened out of wits
Extremely scared, losing rational thought.
be scared out of wits
Extremely frightened, losing rational thought.
been at wits end
Exhausted all options, extremely frustrated.
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