WITTICISM

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

A message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

Synonyms:

humor; humour; wit; witticism; wittiness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("witticism" is a kind of...):

content; message; subject matter; substance (what a communication that is about something is about)

Domain member category:

couth ((used facetiously) refinement)

couth ((used facetiously) refined and well-mannered)

Domain member usage:

libation ((facetious) a serving of an alcoholic beverage)

roaster (a harsh or humorous critic (sometimes intended as a facetious compliment))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "witticism"):

jeu d'esprit (a witty comment or writing)

bon mot; mot (a clever remark)

esprit de l'escalier (a witty remark that occurs to you too late)

bite; pungency (wit having a sharp and caustic quality)

caustic remark; irony; sarcasm; satire (witty language used to convey insults or scorn)

repartee (adroitness and cleverness in reply)

gag; jape; jest; joke; laugh (a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter)

caricature; imitation; impersonation (a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect)

cartoon; sketch (a humorous or satirical drawing published in a newspaper or magazine)

fun; play; sport (verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously))

ribaldry (ribald humor)

topper (an exceedingly good witticism that surpasses all that have gone before)