swirl
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a swirling movement; whirl; eddy.
-
a twist, as of hair around the head or of trimming on a hat.
-
any curving, twisting line, shape, or form.
-
confusion; disorder.
verb
-
to turn or cause to turn in a twisting spinning fashion
-
(intr) to be dizzy; swim
my head was swirling
noun
-
a whirling or spinning motion, esp in water
-
a whorl; curl
-
the act of swirling or stirring
-
dizzy confusion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
swirlsimple
-
swirlssimple
-
have swirledperfect
-
has swirledperfect
-
am swirlingprogressive
-
are swirlingprogressive
-
is swirlingprogressive
-
have been swirlingperfect progressive
-
has been swirlingperfect progressive
Past
-
swirledsimple
-
had swirledperfect
-
was swirlingprogressive
-
were swirlingprogressive
-
had been swirlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of swirl
1375–1425; late Middle English (north) < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian svirla; cognate with Dutch zwirrelen to whirl, German (dial.) schwirrlen to totter; all < a root *swir- (whence Danish svirre to whirl, German schwirren to whir) + -l- frequentative suffix
Explanation
To swirl is to turn in circles or spirals, the way a leaf caught in a whirlpool swirls, or a toy duck swirls in the bathtub as you empty the water out. Smoke might swirl up from your campfire, keeping the mosquitos that swirl through the air nearby from biting you. Or you can swirl on a carnival ride that spins you in circles until you step back onto the ground and the world swirls for a while, until you regain your balance. Swirl is a noun, too, as in a swirl of dust. It was originally Scottish for "whirlpool."
Vocabulary lists containing swirl
"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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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:
Rumors swirl as to what will emerge when the egg hatches: Life-size bronze?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
She uses tweezers to nestle the roasted halves on a swirl of verdant puree, then tops it off with crispy fried leaves.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
On Monday, Netflix shares fell nearly 6%, which Nollen and Huber attributed to the swirl of reporting suggesting the company was actively looking to make a deal.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
An "ice cream swirl" she called it, after fearing she had blown her chance.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
So I tied Wishbone’s leash to Lenny’s bike and headed off up the road with my stomach starting that familiar swirl again.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
Hockney’s largest canvas — at more than 7 feet tall and 20 feet wide — is filled with deft lines and Hockney’s signature swirls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
On the island's downwind side, the satellite captured von Kármán vortex streets, which look like repeating swirls spinning in opposite directions.
From Science Daily ● May 6, 2026
The debate swirls around something called the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, an old edict which gave leagues an antitrust exemption to pool their media rights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
But start folding in coconut shreds, caramel swirls, candy pieces, cookie dough, marshmallows?
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2026
It’s a small, shallow lake, with psychedelic swirls of green algae on top.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
As speculation about McConnell has swirled, Beshear has been inundated with questions regarding the senator’s absence.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Unsubstantiated rumours have swirled on social media claiming that students in Stanford's coveted computer science programme have had trouble finding jobs.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Questions swirled while Trump attended a G7 summit in France, with the wording of the so-called memorandum of understanding still unclear.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
But ever since Brown went public with his frustrations about a diminished role in the team’s offense last year, trade rumors have swirled around the 28-year-old.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
“New bedding,” he said, and the dust of the hay had swirled in the sunlight like a shower of gold.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Little information has been released from McConnell’s office about his condition; last week, a few Republican lawmakers said they had spoken directly with him, but questions continued swirling about his condition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
During one observation, a centipede preyed on the distracted isopods while they remained caught in the swirling formation.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
"How on earth could it have taken so long, given all of the inaccurate reporting about the nature of this offending that was swirling around immediately?" she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
On top of the cathedral, amid ashes swirling in the wind, workers were already setting up a new roof to protect the building and its collection of icons.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
He ignored me, his dark eyes taking in the chaos that was swirling out in the open.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
