wit

機転、知恵

すばやく考えて、気の利いた答えや賢い解決策を見つける能力。

やさしい英語で： The ability to think quickly and find clever answers or solutions.

• Her quick wit saved the day.
• He used his wits to escape the locked room.
• You need sharp wit to answer that quickly.

類義語： cleverness, quick thinking, resourcefulness

よく使う表現： quick wit, sharp wit, use your wit

注意力、冷静さ

危険に気付き、冷静に対応する能力。通常は複数形で使う。

やさしい英語で： Your ability to notice danger and respond sensibly, usually used in the plural.

• Keep your wits about you here.
• She gathered her wits before crossing the busy road.
• He regained his wits after the sudden explosion.

使い方： keep your wits about you (Keep your wits about you when walking through the crowd.)

類義語： senses, awareness

よく使う表現： gather your wit, retain your wit

正気

普通に考え、現実を理解する能力。通常は複数形で使う。

やさしい英語で： The ability to think normally and understand what is real, usually used in the plural.

• She feared she was losing her wits.
• That sudden crash scared me out of my wits.
• Has the old king lost his wits?

類義語： sanity, reason

反対語： insanity

よく使う表現： lose one's wit, scared out of wit

知る

あることを知っている、または気付いている。

やさしい英語で： To know something or be aware of it.

• The letter names two heirs, to wit, Anne and Paul.
• I wit nothing of his secret journey.
• They wit not what danger awaits them.

使い方： wit of something (I wit nothing of this matter.); to wit (He left one possession, to wit, his watch.)

類義語： know

よく使う表現： to wit, wit of something