Whim Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

English Language Learners Definition of whim. : a sudden wish, desire, decision, etc. Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut whim noun SaveWord \ˈ(h)wim \ Definitionofwhim 1 :acapriciousoreccentricandoftensuddenideaorturnofthemind:fancy quithisjobonawhim 2 :alargecapstanthatismadewithoneormoreradiatingarmstowhichahorsemaybeyokedandthatisusedinminesforraisingoreorwater Synonyms ChoosetheRightSynonym MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutwhim Synonymsforwhim Synonyms bee, caprice, crank, fancy, freak, humor, kink, maggot, megrim, notion, vagary, vagrancy, whimsy (alsowhimsey) VisittheThesaurusforMore  ChoosetheRightSynonymforwhim caprice,whim,vagary,crotchetmeananirrationalorunpredictableideaordesire.capricestresseslackofapparentmotivationandsuggestswillfulness. bysheercapriceshequitherjob whimimpliesafantastic,capriciousturnofmindorinclination. anoddantiquethatwasboughtonawhim vagarystressestheerratic,irresponsiblecharacterofthenotionordesire. hehadbeenpronetostrangevagaries crotchetimpliesaneccentricopinionorpreference. aseriousscientistequallyknownforhisbizarrecrotchets ExamplesofwhiminaSentence It'shardtopredictvoters'whims. onawhim,westoppedattheroadsidestandtogeticecream RecentExamplesontheWeb Andassuringpotentialbuyersoftherarityofaphotographwasachallengewhen,forexample,alivingphotographercouldonawhimdecidetoissuemoreprints. — SandraUpson,Wired,11Nov.2021 Researchshowsthatineducation,accommodationsarestillinconsistentlyapplieddependingondisability,privilege,gender,race,cultureandwhim. — NancyDoyle,Forbes,9Nov.2021 Hereverynotion,whimandwordisobservedandreported. — NewYorkTimes,4Nov.2021 Sixyearsago,asaprepstandoutinOakPark,Ill.,onlittlemorethanawhim,SmithdecidedtoaskJimmyButlerifthetwopossiblycouldworkouttogether. — IraWinderman,sun-sentinel.com,27Oct.2021 OneTikTokuserclaimedtowin$500,000afterbuyingalotteryticketonabones-daywhim. — CharlesTrepany,USATODAY,19Oct.2021 ButwhoknowswhatTrumpwhimwillbethenextlitmustestforremaininginhisgoodgraces? — DeanObeidallah,CNN,10Oct.2021 Nature’swhimhadputhisdaughterinthisawfulplace. — DanielEngber,TheAtlantic,6Oct.2021 Onawhimbeforetheseason,FeierabendemailedtheCrushersaboutthepossibilityoftryingout. — MarcBona,cleveland,7Sep.2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'whim.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofwhim 1686,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1 HistoryandEtymologyforwhim shortforwhim-wham LearnMoreAboutwhim Sharewhim PosttheDefinitionofwhimtoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofwhimonTwitter TimeTravelerforwhim Thefirstknownuseofwhimwas in1686 Seemorewordsfromthesameyear DictionaryEntriesNearwhim whilst whim whimbrel SeeMoreNearbyEntries  PhrasesRelatedtowhim atthewhimof(someone) onawhim satisfysomeone'severywhim Statisticsforwhim LastUpdated 18Nov2021 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Whim.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whim.Accessed20Nov.2021. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforwhim whim noun EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofwhim :asuddenwish,desire,decision,etc. SeethefulldefinitionforwhimintheEnglishLanguageLearnersDictionary whim noun \ˈhwim ,ˈwim\ KidsDefinitionofwhim :asuddenwishordesire:asuddenchangeofmind MorefromMerriam-Websteronwhim Nglish:TranslationofwhimforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofwhimforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY trepidation SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! TestYourVocabulary DogWordsQuiz Whichofthefollowinganimalshasadoginitsetymology? canary eel cat hippo Canyouspellthese10commonlymisspelledwords? TAKETHEQUIZ SubscribetoAmerica'slargestdictionaryandgetthousandsmoredefinitionsandadvancedsearch—adfree! Merriam-Websterunabridged WordsatPlay “InVinoVeritas”andOtherLatinPhrasestoLiveBy Top10LatinPhrases Hypercorrections:Areyoumakingthese6commonmistakes? Whenyour'correction'isincorrect TheManyPluralsof'Octopus' Butwhichiscorrect? 8SignificantWordsfor'Insignificant' Alistthatisanythingbuttrivial AsktheEditors 'Everyday'vs.'EveryDay' Asimpletricktokeepthemseparate WhatIs'SemanticBleaching'? How'literally'canmean"figuratively" Literally Howtouseawordthat(literally)drivessomepe... IsSingular'They'aBetterChoice? Theawkwardcaseof'hisorher' WordGames NameThatEmotion It'sawholemood Takethequiz FallBackintoOurAutumnQuiz Whydowecalltheseason‘fall’? Takethequiz SpellIt Canyouspellthese10commonlymisspelledwords? Takethequiz