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GRE vocabulary

whet

verbHigh-frequency wordMore W words

to sharpen or stimulate, especially an appetite or interest

Word origin: From Old English hwettan, to sharpen.

In a sentence

Whet in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing whet in a sentence.

The trailer was designed to whet audiences' curiosity about the sequel.

The opening chapter whets the reader's curiosity without revealing how the experiment ends.

Synonyms
sharpenstimulatekindle
Antonyms
dullbluntdeaden
Usage & nuance

Using “whet” well

To whet is to sharpen or stimulate, most often an appetite or interest, as in to whet the appetite. Do not confuse it with the homophone wet.

Common questions

Questions about “whet

Whet (verb) means to sharpen or stimulate, especially an appetite or interest
Here is whet used in an example sentence: "The trailer was designed to whet audiences' curiosity about the sequel." Another example: "The opening chapter whets the reader's curiosity without revealing how the experiment ends."
Common synonyms for whet include sharpen, stimulate, kindle.
Antonyms of whet include dull, blunt, deaden.
Clusters with sharpen, stimulate, and kindle in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms dull, blunt, and deaden mark the opposite, and the homophone wet is a spelling trap.
Yes. Whet is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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