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.

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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

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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

She grilled Claude for the right combination of swish and sparkles, to the amusement of her nosy older sister.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

When it’s your turn, everyone gets into an oversize yellow inner tube, and you swish through an enclosed waterslide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

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

I returned with golden oil, salt like snow flakes and a warm sourdough loaf to join Maria José’s swish tomato.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2025

It’s taken some time, but I’ve gotten used to the sound from my running foot and the way it’s paired with the quieter swish of my natural foot—whing, whoosh, whing, whoosh.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen