At Your Wit’s End

Meaning of Idiom ‘At Your (or one’s) Wit’s End’

To be at your wit’s end means that you are so confused, puzzled, or upset or have encountered so many difficulties that you have no idea what to do. ¹Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. ²Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010. ³Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.

Compare At the End of Your Rope.

Sentence Examples

“I really need your help. I’ve been trying to figure out how to solve this problem and I’m at my wit’s end.”

“He was a good detective, but this case had him at his wit’s end.”

“I am in desperate need of your wisdom.” “My life is but to serve you, my lord.” “It’s this suitor business. Jasmine refuses to choose a husband. I’m at my wit’s end.”— Aladdin (1992)

“He’s taken my children. He won’t let me see them. Really, I’m at my wit’s end.” — The Duchess (2008)

“Listen. I’m at my wit’s end. I really need some help from you.”— Labor Day (2014)

“She has now restricted herself to a regime of such ferocious introspection that we are all at our wit’s end.” — Mrs Brown (1997)

“Everything will be fine.” “I hope so. She’s at wit’s end.” — Anything for Her (2008)

“The last few weeks have been a nightmare, Colin. I have been at my wit’s end since you disappeared.” — Hope Springs (2003)

“I’m at my wit’s end with Adeline. She’s an aggressive and dangerous child. She hardly eats anything.” — The Thirteenth Tale (2013)

“She seems demure.” “Yes. Too demure, we must admit. We are at our wit’s end.” — The Man in the Iron Mask (1977)

“Hurry, Myron.” “I forgot what I was supposed to do.” “Oh, Myron, I’m at my wit’s end with you.” — Scared Stiff (1953)

Origin

The word wit, in this idiom, means “mental ability or sharpness.” It appeared as early as 1377 in Pliers Ploughman by William Langland (⁴Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.:

“Immediately I awoke, almost at my wits’ end. And when I set out on my way, it was like a man under a sentence of death.”

More Idioms Starting with A

• Add Fuel to the Fire
• All Tuckered Out
• Are You Writing a Book?
• Army Brat
• And How

More At Idioms

• Jump At Something (chance, offer, opportunity)
• At the Drop of a Hat
• At Hand
• Ill at Ease
• At Your Fingertips
• At the End of Your Rope

More End Idioms

• Dead End
• The Bitter End, to (until)
• Odds and Ends
• No End In Sight (to something)
• Never Hear the End of It

More Wit Idioms

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