whirl
Americanverb (used without object)
-
whirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whirled,
past participle, past
-
whirling
present participle
-
to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly.
The merry-go-round whirled noisily.
-
to turn about or aside quickly.
He whirled and faced his pursuers.
-
to move, travel, or be carried rapidly along.
She whirled along the freeway in her new car.
-
to feel as though spinning rapidly; reel as from dizziness.
My head began to whirl.
verb (used with object)
-
whirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whirled,
past participle, past
-
whirling
present participle
noun
-
whirls
plural
-
the act of whirling; rapid rotation or gyration.
- Synonyms:
- revolution, spin
-
a whirling movement; quick turn or swing.
-
a short drive, run, walk, or the like; spin.
-
something that whirls; a whirling current or mass.
-
a rapid round of events, affairs, etc..
a whirl of meetings, conferences, and business lunches.
-
a state marked by dizziness or a dizzying succession of feelings, thoughts, etc.
-
an attempt or trial, especially one undertaken tentatively or experimentally.
Even if you don't agree with my plan, won't you give it a whirl?
-
Machinery. whip.
verb
-
to spin, turn, or revolve or cause to spin, turn, or revolve
-
(intr) to turn around or away rapidly
-
(intr) to have a spinning sensation, as from dizziness, etc
-
to move or drive or be moved or driven at high speed
noun
-
the act or an instance of whirling; swift rotation or a rapid whirling movement
-
a condition of confusion or giddiness
her accident left me in a whirl
-
a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc
-
a tumult; stir
-
informal a brief trip, dance, etc
-
informal to attempt or give a trial to something
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
whirlernoun
-
outwhirlverb (used with object)
-
unwhirledadjective
-
whirlingadjective
-
whirlinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
whirlsimple
-
whirlssimple
-
have whirledperfect
-
has whirledperfect
-
am whirlingprogressive
-
are whirlingprogressive
-
is whirlingprogressive
-
have been whirlingperfect progressive
-
has been whirlingperfect progressive
Past
-
whirledsimple
-
had whirledperfect
-
was whirlingprogressive
-
were whirlingprogressive
-
had been whirlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whirl
1250–1300; Middle English whirlen < Old Norse hvirfla to whirl, akin to Old English hwyrflung turning, revolving, hwyrfel circuit; see whorl
Explanation
A whirl is a quick spin, and when something whirls, it rotates fast. You can also use it to mean "a try." Hang-gliding? Snake-charming? "Sure," you say. "I'll give it a whirl." Both whirl and spin are words that mean "turn in circles" but that have also come to mean trying something briefly––you might take a car for a spin or take a turn hiking in the Himalayas. All imply an attitude so free-wheeling, so easy, so devil-may-care that it might make your head spin. Or whirl.
Vocabulary lists containing whirl
English Words Derived from Old Norse
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Keck Education Center, which will be overrun by excitable children who will get a big kick out of the fountain’s inviting whirl and swirl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
In Ada Louise Huxtable’s architecture writing, buildings whirl off their footings and built interiors entice us to dance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
They whirl, bounce, and collide within their confined space like loose change shaking violently in a machine, moving so quickly and unpredictably that standard scientific tools have struggled to track them.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 19, 2026
During a whirl of recent diplomatic engagements, Takaichi played K-pop on the drums with South Korea's president and snapped selfies with Italy's prime minister, casting herself as hard-working, relatable and a symbol of change.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
Nancy tried to see through the whirl of snow and eggs.
From "Case of the Sneaky Snowman: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #5" by Carolyn Keene
"Our results show that fire whirls, compared to in-situ fires, dramatically reduce overall emissions."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
Despite their impressive performance, fire whirls are not easy to control.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
According to the researchers, fire whirls can burn crude oil nearly twice as fast as traditional in situ fire pools.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
He stamps his feet, whirls his arms and screams at whichever referee is unlucky enough to be within earshot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
Henry whirls; in the same motion he hurls the pistol from him and stoops again, gripping Bon by both shoulders, panting.
From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner
"When I left, I left with nothing," he told AFP, as waiters whirled past carrying steaming plates of traditional Syrian fare.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
Hightower leaped high to rebound a missed Adams jumper, whirled and made a layup while being fouled to put the top seed ahead, 69-68, with 49 seconds left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
Faint noises from boat engines whirled in the air.
From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 2024
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Lee whirled through open waters on Thursday as forecasters warned it could become the first Category 5 storm of the Atlantic season.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
Her thoughts whirled among bits of information and ideas that crowded into her brain, and blew about there, like dry leaves in a storm.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
But under million-dollar luxury apartments chilled by whirling air conditioners, tenants in one of Seoul's last shanty towns suffer headaches in the savage heat.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Using every tool at his disposal — namely his violins, guitars, looping machine and expressive voice — Bird created a whirling one-man-band effect that somehow awed and soothed the crowd in equal measure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Distressing images thunder into her head uninvited, whirling around and around until she feels like she is drowning in them.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
Jareth peeks at her from between the masked dancers whirling around her, hiding and seeking, smiling gently, for once, as “As the World Falls Down” lilts behind the action.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026
The whirling one, the one almost like a human whistle.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
