swish

American  

[swish] / swɪʃ /

verb (used without object)

swishes, present (3rd person singular) swished, past participle, past swishing present participle

1. to move with or make a sibilant sound, as a slender rod cutting sharply through the air or as small waves washing on the shore.

2. to rustle, as silk.

3. to move or behave in an exaggeratedly effeminate manner.

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verb (used with object)

swishes, present (3rd person singular) swished, past participle, past swishing present participle

1. to flourish, whisk, etc., with a swishing movement or sound.

   to swish a cane.

2. to bring, take, cut, etc., with such a movement or sound.

   to swish off the tops of plants with a cane.

3. to flog or whip.

noun

swishes plural

1. a swishing movement or sound.

2. a stock or rod for flogging or a stroke with this.

3. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an effeminate gay man.

adjective

1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. swishy.

2. Chiefly British Informal. stylishly elegant; fashionable.

swish British  

/ swɪʃ /

verb

1. to move with or make or cause to move with or make a whistling or hissing sound

2. (intr) (esp of fabrics) to rustle

3. slang (tr) to whip; flog

4. to cut with a swishing blow

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noun

1. a hissing or rustling sound or movement

2. a rod for flogging or a blow from such a rod

3. slang an effeminate male homosexual

4. a W African building material composed of mortar and mud or laterite, or more recently of cement and earth

adjective

1. informal fashionable; smart

2. slang effeminate and homosexual

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• swisher
  noun
• swishing
  adjective
• swishingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• swishes
  plural

Participles

• swishing
  present
• swished
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• swish
  simple
• swishes
  simple
• have swished
  perfect
• has swished
  perfect
• am swishing
  progressive
• are swishing
  progressive
• is swishing
  progressive
• have been swishing
  perfect progressive
• has been swishing
  perfect progressive

Past

• swished
  simple
• had swished
  perfect
• was swishing
  progressive
• were swishing
  progressive
• had been swishing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will swish
  simple
• will have swished
  perfect
• will be swishing
  progressive
• will have been swishing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of swish

First recorded in 1750–60; imitative

Explanation

To swish is to make something rush or hiss as it moves, or to move this way yourself. A bike might swish past you on a wet sidewalk, and you might swish your long dress as you continue walking. A swish is the sound that's made when a person or thing swishes — the swish of a dish brush on a dirty pan in the sink, or the swish of water against a dock. A kite swishes through the air and so does a fencing epee or a fly swatter. In basketball, you swish when you make a clean basket, without the ball hitting the rim or the backboard. Swish is an example of onomatopoeia — when a word that sounds like its meaning.

Example Sentences

The books on the non-profit’s reading list include children’s classics such as “Where the Wild Things Are” as well as drag-themed books like “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish.”

From Washington Times • Jun. 16, 2022

Swish it around your mouth like a nice barolo.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2022

Footage surfaced on social media with the drag queen known as "Lil' Miss Hot Mess" promoting their book "The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish."

From Fox News • May 20, 2021

Dean Malka, the president of Swish Embassy, a clothing retailer based in Toronto that caters to gay men, manufactures most of his clothing in the United States.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2018

Swish went the windshield wipers, pushing the snow to the side, bunching the flakes up into knots and swirls of clear ice.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman