Meaning
Completely puzzled, overwhelmed, or out of ideas after struggling with a difficult problem for a long time, to the point of not knowing what to try next.
It is used to describe the frustration and mental exhaustion that comes from repeatedly failing to find a solution, often regarding a persistent, stressful situation.
Origin
The phrase draws on the old sense of wit as mental sharpness or reasoning ability, so being at its end means having exhausted every mental resource available. It appears in the King James Bible, in Psalm 107:27, describing sailors caught in a storm who reel and stagger like drunken men and are at their wit’s end, and the image of intellectual resources running out at the limit of a crisis has remained attached to the phrase ever since.
Examples
After three sleepless nights trying to fix the server, the whole team was at their wit’s end.
She was at her wit’s end trying to get her toddler to eat any vegetables at all.
We are at our wit’s end with this printer, it breaks down every single day.
A: Have you found a way to stop the leak yet?
B: No, honestly, I am at my wit’s end.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'At one's wit's end' mean?
Completely puzzled, overwhelmed, or out of ideas after struggling with a difficult problem for a long time, to the point of not knowing what to try next.
It is used to describe the frustration and mental exhaustion that comes from repeatedly failing to find a solution, often regarding a persistent, stressful situation.