Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

swirly

American  
[swur-lee] / ˈswɜr li /

adjective

swirlier, swirliest

  1. swirling, whirling, or twisted.

Etymology

Origin of swirly

First recorded in 1775–85; swirl + -y 1

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.

By the 1970s, even the Queen was wearing looser-fitting evening gowns with drapey arms and "swirly whirly" patterns.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

Its use of a claustrophobic frame, swirly bokeh and color bias celluloid deepen a mother’s downward spiral.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

Imagine pouring paint on a spinning canvas - it makes swirly patterns.

From Space Scoop • Oct. 24, 2025

Here, complications from untreated mental illness drive the unreliable narrator trope for a swirly, tangled hair-raiser.

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

Our daily meals were once again taken at Mrs. Wigginbottom’s crowded table, the memories of the Mississippi hotel’s swirly menu and sinfully good food fading like steam from a teakettle.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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.