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Synonyms

whim

American  
[hwim, wim] / ʰwɪm, wɪm /

noun

  1. an odd or capricious notion or desire; a sudden or freakish fancy.

    a sudden whim to take a midnight walk.
    Synonyms:
    caprice, vagary, whimsy

  2. capricious humor.

    to be swayed by whim.
whim British  
/ wɪm /

noun

  1. a sudden, passing, and often fanciful idea; impulsive or irrational thought

  2. a horse-drawn winch formerly used in mining to lift ore or water

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of whim

First recorded in 1635–45; short for whim-wham

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.

"It came about on a whim as I love horses," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies fell Thursday as digital assets traded in step with stock markets and at the whim of developments in the Iran war.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Suppliers accustomed to catering to Apple’s every whim are gaining the leverage to demand that the iPhone maker pay more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

That has freed him to rule completely by whim.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

With no navigational charts, I turn the wheel on impulse and whim.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

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.