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midwit

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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From mid- +‎ wit; likely coined in line with nitwit, halfwit, etc.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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midwit (plural midwits)

  1. (neologism, chiefly Internet slang, mildly derogatory) A person of middling intellect; someone who is neither particularly dumb nor notably intelligent, especially if they act as if they are smarter than they are.
    Coordinate terms: halfwit, lackwit
    • 2022 January 7, Merri, “Brief Genealogy of the Midwit”, in The Pillarist[1]:
      How then should we not be midwits? Painting with broad strokes: avoid media. Cultivate taste. Grow and train your sense of aesthetics. Recognize beauty. Practice virtue. Pray.
    • 2023 February 11, Janan Ganesh, “After Germany's fall, which is the paragon nation?”, in FT Weekend, page 22:
      A true paragon nation captures the midwit, get-the-news-from-Trevor-Noah demographic.
    • 2023 February 21, David Sinclair, The Wolf Tamers: How They Made the Strong Weak[2]:
      Congress is packed with midwits. There are no intellectuals in Congress. None could flourish in such a mediocre environment.

Usage notes

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At least online, the term commonly carries connotations of the person deemed a "midwit" of being oversocialized and holding socially-acceptable views as if they were intellectually profound.

Derived terms

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See also

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Anagrams

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