See Also: hedonic(dictionary)

witty (iou) and hedonic (iou)


witty (iou)



witty adjective.

Having wisdom; wise, having good judgement; prudent, sensible. OE-E17.
Intelligent, clever; skilful, expert, capable. Now arch. & dial. OE.
R. Eden In workemanship and artes they are marueylous wyttie.
b. Crafty, cunning, artful. Also, foolishly ingenious in devising something harmful to oneself. LME-E18.
T. Herbert As simple as they seeme, they are witty enough in craft, revenge, and villany.
Orig., endowed with reason, rational. Later, in full possession of one's wits, of sound mind. rare. OE-L17.
Showing or demanding intellectual ability. Later (esp. of discourse), ingenious or subtle in conception or expression. LME-E18.
J. Locke The Fallacies that are often concealed in florid, witty or involved Discourses.
b. Skilfully devised for an evil purpose. Only in 17.
Showing or originating from good judgement or discernment. LME-E18.
Capable of or given to saying or Writing sparklingly clever and amusing things; fond of making witticisms. L16.
R. S. Woolhouse Bacon was obviously an Entertaining, civil, and witty personal companion.
b. Sharply critical, censorious, sarcastic. E17-M18.
Esp. of speech or Writing: characterized by or full of clever and sparkling humour; cleverly amusing. L16.
S. Townsend There was no witty repartee..not a single hilarious anecdote was told. Guardian Courting the buyers with ever more witty, young and charming variations on the Chanel look.
wittiness noun LME.

hedonic (iou)



hedonic adjective & noun. M17.
[Greek hedonikos, formed as HEDONISM: see -IC.]
A. adjective.
Of or pertaining to pleasure; (chiefly Psychology) of, pertaining to, or involving pleasurable or painful sensations or feelings, considered as affects. M17.
hedonic tone the degree of pleasantness or unpleasantness associated with an experience or state, esp. as referred to a continuum extending from pleasure to pain.
Zoology. Designating or relating to glands in reptiles and amphibians which serve to attract members of the opposite sex for mating. E20.
b. noun.
A Cyrenaic. Only in L17.
In pl. The science of pleasure; that part of ethics which refers to pleasure. Now rare. M19.