Hunter
what are differences between the words outwit and outsmart.
when I look at the dictionary both looks same, someone explain the differences?
when to use each word?
2022년 2월 7일 오전 4:57
답변 · 2
3
They're completely synonymous. Use whichever one you prefer.
2022년 2월 7일
1
Hi Hunter,
'Outwit' and 'outsmart' mean about the same thing... but, according to the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), 'outsmart' is used more often than 'outwit'.
Generally, in North American English, 'smart' is used more often than 'wit'... 'smart' is a pretty everyday word that can be used in lots of ways. 'Wit' is more specific and so used less frequently.
The upshot is probably this: 'outsmart' is more common generally, it's definitely more common in speech, and it's probably the default choice. Use 'outwit' to upgrade your level of formality or to be more specific.
I hope this helps!
2022년 2월 7일
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