swish

American  

[swish] / swɪʃ /

verb (used without object)

• swishes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swished,
  past participle,  past
• swishing
  present participle

1. to move with or make a sibilant sound, as a slender rod cutting sharply through the air or as small waves washing on the shore.

2. to rustle, as silk.

3. to move or behave in an exaggeratedly effeminate manner.

---

verb (used with object)

• swishes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swished,
  past participle,  past
• swishing
  present participle

1. to flourish, whisk, etc., with a swishing movement or sound.

   to swish a cane.

2. to bring, take, cut, etc., with such a movement or sound.

   to swish off the tops of plants with a cane.

3. to flog or whip.

noun

• swishes
  plural

1. a swishing movement or sound.

2. a stock or rod for flogging or a stroke with this.

3. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an effeminate gay man.

adjective

1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. swishy.

2. Chiefly British Informal. stylishly elegant; fashionable.

swish British  

/ swɪʃ /

verb

1. to move with or make or cause to move with or make a whistling or hissing sound

2. (intr) (esp of fabrics) to rustle

3. slang (tr) to whip; flog

4. to cut with a swishing blow

---

noun

1. a hissing or rustling sound or movement

2. a rod for flogging or a blow from such a rod

3. slang an effeminate male homosexual

4. a W African building material composed of mortar and mud or laterite, or more recently of cement and earth

adjective

1. informal fashionable; smart

2. slang effeminate and homosexual

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• swisher
  noun
• swishing
  adjective
• swishingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• swishes
  plural

Participles

• swishing
  present
• swished
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• swish
  simple
• swishes
  simple
• have swished
  perfect
• has swished
  perfect
• am swishing
  progressive
• are swishing
  progressive
• is swishing
  progressive
• have been swishing
  perfect progressive
• has been swishing
  perfect progressive

Past

• swished
  simple
• had swished
  perfect
• was swishing
  progressive
• were swishing
  progressive
• had been swishing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will swish
  simple
• will have swished
  perfect
• will be swishing
  progressive
• will have been swishing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of swish

First recorded in 1750–60; imitative

Explanation

To swish is to make something rush or hiss as it moves, or to move this way yourself. A bike might swish past you on a wet sidewalk, and you might swish your long dress as you continue walking. A swish is the sound that's made when a person or thing swishes — the swish of a dish brush on a dirty pan in the sink, or the swish of water against a dock. A kite swishes through the air and so does a fencing epee or a fly swatter. In basketball, you swish when you make a clean basket, without the ball hitting the rim or the backboard. Swish is an example of onomatopoeia — when a word that sounds like its meaning.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

swish swishes swished swishing

This would help swish money into public coffers through tax revenues, he said, "allowing us to provide tax relief on the one hand while finally making sensible investments on the other".

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The company provided cash to landlords and wealthy families to buy properties in swish London neighborhoods and throughout the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

Instead, what connects both failures was the fact they were again both drives - the first aggressive swish edged to the slips before a more tentative push.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025

Online and onstage, he’s bitingly funny, roasting the matcha-sipping, Clairo-stanning performative-male stereotypes of his generation of softbois, while also dancing with a low-buttoned, Bowie-worthy swish at the MTV Video Music Awards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025

She let it go, and in one swish Kapu leaped to the ground and snatched it.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

He generates his power as the bat swishes back through the line to make contact.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

Daunno does an expert disaffected indie head nod and foot bounce while he plays, and Shen is thoroughly convincing on the keys with her hair swishes and tentative backing vocals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2023

At one point an enormous koi swishes across the rear wall.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 21, 2022

The nets singed with swishes, same as they ever had.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2022

He paced back and forth, guarding the door with wide swishes of a brush tail; he jumped up on Helen and Theresa as they tried to dodge by with grocery bags.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Gay swished his bat in the direction of the stumps in frustration and wasted a review, his immediate future in the team vulnerable.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

He soared for dunks and even swished a 3-pointer from the half-court line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

Wembanyama swished jump shots and soared for alley-oop dunks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Javon Carter had tied it for the Magic with 1.1 seconds left in the second extra period before Green swished the game-winner.

From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026

“Oh, thank goodness,” said Hermione weakly, pointing her wand at Mrs. Black instead; with a bang, the curtains swished shut again and silence fell.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Duckett looked horribly out of touch, swishing and swiping.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026

Between the pomp surrounding donning one’s holy livery, pointed glares and swishing red silks and velvets, these cassocked clergymen make bored teenagers seem kind.

From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024

Cats display a wide range of visual signals: tails swishing side to side, or raised high in the air; rubbing and curling around our legs; crouching; flattening ears or widening eyes.

From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024

Clark left little doubt she’d get there by dribbling left off a screen and swishing a 3-pointer from the top of the key just 13 seconds into the game.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2024

“I believe you can make amends,” she said, her skirts swishing as she crossed the room again and reached for the door.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan