whim

[hwim, wim]

See more synonyms for whim on Thesaurus.com

noun

an odd or capricious notion or desire; a sudden or freakish fancy: a sudden whim to take a midnight walk.
capricious humor: to be swayed by whim.

Origin of whim

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

Synonyms

See more synonyms for whim on Thesaurus.com

1. whimsy, vagary, caprice.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for whim

Contemporary Examples

That was 2010, when Williamson was seven, less than two years after painting his first picture on a whim.
Blessed or Cursed? Child Prodigies Reveal All
Justin Jones
November 17, 2014
And neither he, nor his secret police squad or some lawyer from Detroit, get to change that unilaterally on a whim.
Small Town Keeps Cops Secret From...ISIS
Cliff Schecter
October 23, 2014
Was it really, as I suspected, ordered on a whim by some yahoo who was deeply affected by a childhood encounter with Grave Digger?
Why Does My Kids’ Elementary School Need a Tank?
Andy Hinds
September 13, 2014
These demands can increase at whim, and worsen with the birth of a child.
The Despicable Persistence of the Dowry in India
Nishita Jha
August 4, 2014
She was distraught and sad walking through a park on Long Island when she joined a drum circle on a whim.
Drums Aren’t Just for Music: They’re Therapy, Too
Dale Eisinger
July 21, 2014

Historical Examples

It seemed to have a vast inorganic life of its own, a volition and a whim.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
It suited his whim, and it did more than that: it gave him a chance to speak to her in his teasing way.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Indeed, Van Baerle's happiness depended on the whim of this man.
The Black Tulip
Alexandre Dumas (Pere)
The whim had seized her and was holding on tight that Emmeline's might be the Right Place.
Four Girls and a Compact
Annie Hamilton Donnell
He's been satisfying every whim of curiosity that pops into his mind.
The Big Tomorrow
Paul Lohrman

British Dictionary definitions for whim

whim

noun

a sudden, passing, and often fanciful idea; impulsive or irrational thought
a horse-drawn winch formerly used in mining to lift ore or water

Word Origin

C17: from whim-wham

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

Word Origin and History for whim

n.

1640s, "pun or play on words," shortened from whimwham "fanciful object" (q.v.). Meaning "sudden notion, fancy, or idea" first recorded 1690s, probably a shortened form of whimsy.

whim

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}whim

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for whim

Contemporary Examples

That was 2010, when Williamson was seven, less than two years after painting his first picture on a whim.

And neither he, nor his secret police squad or some lawyer from Detroit, get to change that unilaterally on a whim.

Was it really, as I suspected, ordered on a whim by some yahoo who was deeply affected by a childhood encounter with Grave Digger?

These demands can increase at whim, and worsen with the birth of a child.

She was distraught and sad walking through a park on Long Island when she joined a drum circle on a whim.

Historical Examples

It seemed to have a vast inorganic life of its own, a volition and a whim.

It suited his whim, and it did more than that: it gave him a chance to speak to her in his teasing way.

Indeed, Van Baerle's happiness depended on the whim of this man.

The whim had seized her and was holding on tight that Emmeline's might be the Right Place.

He's been satisfying every whim of curiosity that pops into his mind.

whim

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for whim

n.

Origin of whim