whimsical

[ hwim-zi-kuhl, wim- ]
See synonyms for whimsical on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. given to whimsy or fanciful notions; capricious: a pixyish, whimsical fellow.

  2. of the nature of or proceeding from whimsy, as thoughts or actions: Her writing showed whimsical notions of human behavior.

  1. erratic; unpredictable: He was too whimsical with regard to his work.

Origin of whimsical

1
First recorded in 1645–55; whims(y) + -ical

Other words from whimsical

  • whim·si·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·whim·si·cal, adjective
  • un·whim·si·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·whim·si·cal·ness, noun

Words Nearby whimsical

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use whimsical in a sentence

  • For a moment there was no consciousness in their gaze; then a whimsical ghost of a smile crept about his mouth.

    Uncanny Tales | Various
  • Ida thought it was, but the quiet confidence behind his whimsical manner appealed to her.

    The Gold Trail | Harold Bindloss
  • Weston was a little leaner, and his face was grimmer than it had been, for the whimsical carelessness had faded out of it.

    The Gold Trail | Harold Bindloss
  • An instance of oaths being subjected to the like whimsical conditions is noticeable in the domestic manners of Old Germany.

  • There was a whimsical smile on his lips, but his eyes were wonderfully tender.

    The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch | Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter

British Dictionary definitions for whimsical

whimsical

/ (ˈwɪmzɪkəl) /


adjective
  1. spontaneously fanciful or playful

  2. given to whims; capricious

  1. quaint, unusual, or fantastic

Derived forms of whimsical

  • whimsicality (ˌwɪmzɪˈkælɪtɪ), noun
  • whimsically, adverb
  • whimsicalness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012