whim

[ hwim, wim ]

/ ʰwɪm, wɪm /

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.

Nearby words

whiles, whilk, whillikers, whilom, whilst, whim, whim-wham, whimbrel, whimper, whimsey, whimsical

Origin of whim

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

SYNONYMS FOR whim

1 whimsy, vagary, caprice.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whim ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whim

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
There are no lifeless spots in his works; every whim of his takes shape, as if by sorcery, in splendid figures.
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 3 (of 4)|Richard Muther
But he has told me I have reason for the whim, and that I should continue.
That Girl Montana|Marah Ellis Ryan
It was partly a despairing woman's whim, an absurdity, and partly she was prompted by her magic practices to take the cloth.
A German Pompadour|Marie Hay
And upon your whim likewise depends the special forcemeat used.
The Feasts of Autolycus|Elizabeth Robins Pennell
Such secret provisions have often been agreed to simply upon the whim or the ambition or the likes and dislikes of the rulers.
A School History of the Great War|Albert E. McKinley, Charles A. Coulomb, and Armand J. Gerson

British Dictionary definitions for whim

whim

/ (wɪm) /

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 for whim

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

whim

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.