whiz

¹

or whizz

[ wiz, hwiz ]

verb (used without object)

, whizzed, whiz·zing.

1. to make a humming, buzzing, or hissing sound, as an object passing swiftly through the air.
2. to move or rush with such a sound:

   The angry hornets whizzed by in a cloud.

verb (used with object)

, whizzed, whiz·zing.

1. to cause to whiz.
2. to treat with a whizzer.

noun

1. Informal. a person who is quite good at a particular activity, in a certain field, etc.:

   She's a whiz at math.

2. the sound of a whizzing object.
3. a swift movement producing such a sound.

whiz

²

[ wiz, hwiz ]

noun

1. wizard ( def 3 ).

Other Words From

• whiz·zing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of whiz¹

1540–50; imitative; fizz

Origin of whiz²

By shortening

Example Sentences

It’s easy to buy Wilson, with his boxer’s nose and almost visibly bruised heart, as a divorced, single—dad math whiz who’s too distracted to consider he might have a second chance at love.

From Time

I’ve had children jump into ditches like startled rabbits and hand-holding elderly couples freeze as I ding my bell and whiz past.

From Outside Online

Homemade aioli requires just a few ingredients and 10 minutes of whisking — or a quick whiz in a small blender bowl — to produce a silky sauce.

From Washington Post

If you’re a math whiz like us, you might notice that five years and 10 days are two different amounts of time.

From Voice of San Diego

If you’re a whiz with words and witty dialogue, then you might consider applying for a job as a writer at a studio.

From TechCrunch

As archetypically “presidential” as Mitt Romney seemed, his perfectly square, gee whiz speech style was part of what did him in.

From The Daily Beast

Whole Foods actually makes money, but investors reacted to it the way gourmands do when encountering Cheez Whiz.

From The Daily Beast

He has proven to be a computer whiz, earning the nickname “Ninja Coder.”

From The Daily Beast

The legendary musician and a 27-year-old Israeli tech whiz bring us the remarkably interactive video for ‘Like a Rolling Stone.’

From The Daily Beast

Statistics whiz Nate Silver brought huge traffic to the Gray Lady, and now ESPN stands to win big.

From The Daily Beast

We lit our pipes and strolled over in silence to the men's quarters, and it was his odd Canadian expression "Gee whiz!"

From Project Gutenberg

Before they were half way up, there came the sound of another shot, but this time the whiz of no ball was heard.

From Project Gutenberg

Monday is meatless and Tuesday is dry,Wednesday is sugarless, too, gee whiz!

From Project Gutenberg

At first we merely dropped them on him, but we soon began to whiz them down with the added force of our muscles.

From Project Gutenberg

And then the wild Igazipuza war-cry rent the night, and he could hear the whiz of flying assegais past his head.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• genius
• prodigy