1. a person who pretends to be witty or clever but lacks real intelligence or wit
Usage: archaic; literary

Examples

• The salon was full of witlings who thought themselves terribly clever.
• He dismissed the critic as a mere witling with no real understanding of art.
• The witling’s attempts at humor fell flat with the sophisticated audience.
• She had no patience for witlings who spoke without thinking.
• The author portrayed the character as a witling whose shallow observations revealed his ignorance.