wits' end

English

Etymology

wits' + end

Noun

wits' end (plural wits' ends)

1. (idiomatic) Limit of one's sanity or mental capacity; point of desperation.
   • 1699, Edward Taylor, in The Poems of Edward Taylor (1989 edition), page 136:

     The Seamen they

     Bestir their stumps, and at wits end do weep.

     Wake, Jonas, who saith

     Heave me over deck.

   • 1868, Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone, ch. 22:

     He was so eloquent in drawing the picture of his own neglected merits, and so pathetic in lamenting over it when it was done, that I felt quite at my wits' end how to console him.

   • 1906, Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, Chapter 18

     The frightened women were at their wits' end.

   • circa 1911, John Muir, in John Muir and Michael P. Branch, John Muir's Last Journey: South to the Amazon and East to Africa (2002 edition), page 138:

     Our dozen cabin passengers sorely put to wits' end to pass yesterday without cards in observance of the Sabbath.

   • 2010 Dec. 10, Leo Cendrowicz, "Talks on Iran's Nuclear Program Produce ... More Talks," Time:

     Yet years of talks, threats and sanctions have failed to halt the program, and officials are at their wits' end on how to wean Iran off its nuclear habit.

Usage notes

• Note that the apostrophe is placed after the s of wits (meaning abilities), not after wit (one's humour or intelligence).