Link Centre Dictionary

twit

US/twɪt/ uncommon archaic informal obsolete uk us
noun (2) verb (1)

noun

1.

someone who is regarded as contemptible

Synonyms
2.

aggravation by deriding or mocking or criticizing

Synonyms

verb

1.

harass with persistent criticism or carping

  • “The children teased the new teacher”
  • “Don”
  • “;”
Synonyms

Origin

PIE word *h₂éd The verb is an apheretic form of atwite (“(obsolete) to blame, reproach”), from Middle English atwiten (“to attribute (something) to someone; to blame (something) on someone; to accuse or charge (someone) with something; to speak ill of; to taunt”), from Old English ætwītan (“to blame, reproach; to censure, upbraid; to taunt”), from æt- (prefix meaning ‘at, near; toward’) + wītan (“to accuse; to blame, reproach”) (from Proto-Germanic *wītaną (“to punish; to torment; to know; to see”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see”)). Piecewise doublet of advise. The noun is probably derived from the verb, although it is attested in print earlier.

Phrases

  • upper-class twit

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.