Whip-smart
What it means
Exceptionally quick, perceptive, and intelligent.
Reach for it when giving lively informal praise to exceptionally quick and perceptive intelligence
The whip-smart apprentice found a safer solution before lunch.
Words to choose between 6
| playful |
|
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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playful
Fits when fast accurate understanding deserves concise praise
Careful Sharp can sound aggressive or appearance-focused.
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everyday
Fits when informal intellectual praise suits the audience
Careful Brainy can sound childish or stereotype a person.
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everyday
Fits when rapid clever responses are central
Careful Quick wit can favor jokes over judgment.
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warm
Fits when exceptional intellectual ability is the broad praise
Careful Brilliance need not be quick or practical.
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professional
Fits when perceptive practical judgment is demonstrated
Careful Astuteness is measured and less energetic.
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formal
Fits when analysis cuts quickly to the important point
Careful Incisiveness concerns expression more than overall intelligence.
Opposites 3
- slow-witted
- obtuse
- unperceptive
Common phrases 3
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whip-smart analyst
The whip-smart analyst spotted the hidden denominator immediately.
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whip-smart dialogue
Whip-smart dialogue kept the comedy brisk without flattening its characters.
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quietly whip-smart
She was quietly whip-smart and never used speed to embarrass a learner.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Baymiwuk, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated