witling — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A person who feigns wit, pretending or aspiring to be witty.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   I ne'r vvith VVits and VVitlings paſt my days, / To ſpread about the Itch of Verſe and Praiſe, / Nor like a Puppy daggled thro' the Tovvn, / To fetch and carry Sing-ſong up and dovvn; […]

2. A person with very little wit.

   Usage

   • Derogatory

   Examples

   "But the witlings of the bunch were those two swaggering there in the popular conception of western dress...."

   "...only a witling would call a man with my conceit a liar."

   More examples (1)

   I have intruded because this situation is intolerable. You are either a poisonous cockatrice or a witling, and you have brought Mr. Goodwin to a desperate pass.