whim

American  

[hwim, wim] / ʰwɪm, wɪm /

noun

1. an odd or capricious notion or desire; a sudden or freakish fancy.

   a sudden whim to take a midnight walk.

   Synonyms:

   caprice, vagary, whimsy

2. capricious humor.

   to be swayed by whim.

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whim British  

/ wɪm /

noun

1. a sudden, passing, and often fanciful idea; impulsive or irrational thought

2. a horse-drawn winch formerly used in mining to lift ore or water

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Etymology

Origin of whim

First recorded in 1635–45; short for whim-wham

Explanation

A whim is an odd or fanciful idea, something kooky you suddenly decide to do, like dress up like a chicken or drive to Vegas. A whim can be a sudden impulse or a change of mind, like if you go shopping for school clothes but instead buy a pink cowboy hat. Whim is a shortened version of the equally silly sounding whim wham which means "fanciful object," like a tiny snow globe that plays "Hava Nagila." If you go for a drive on a whim, you could wind up anywhere, perhaps even back to the store to return that snow globe.

Example Sentences

Details were still being finalized as of this writing, but Seattle contemporary dance company Whim W’Him will be returning to various parks in the area for pop-up performances this summer.

From Seattle Times • May 25, 2023

It all started when Wevers decided to make good on his dream to purchase a building for Whim W’Him.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2022

After an adaptation to streaming and the creation of nine dance films, Whim W’Him returns to their theater home at Cornish Playhouse for four performances of “Winter 22.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2022

In Finland, Whim and other operators never amassed a huge following, and the pandemic reportedly battered finances.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2021

For 3/6 the Whim gave a half-warm site to read The Times while flat-capped Trinity types turned the pages of the Telegraph or News Chronicle.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• impulse
• inclination
• vagary