awhirl

American

[uh-hwurl, uh-wurl] / əˈʰwɜrl, əˈwɜrl /

adjective

rotating rapidly; spinning; whirling (usually used predicatively).

dancers awhirl to the strains of a lively waltz.

Etymology

Origin of awhirl

First recorded in 1880–85; a- ¹ + whirl

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:

awhirl

Its women had the aura of elegant Amazons, while their counterpart men—often awhirl like tornados—gained their own prominence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

One of the young women spoke animatedly, hands awhirl as she bantered with her lawyers during a recess.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2017

I read for hours that way, morning after morning, my mind awhirl.

From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2016

She drove to Mobile and then drove back again, her mind awhirl with the sort of not very interesting observations that so often pass through the minds of characters in unpublished fiction.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 19, 2015

Her mind was awhirl with speculations about Kate.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023