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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of whim

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

Example Sentences

I realize now that when I was with Dad, I was always on, my butterflies always at attention, prepared to switch gears at a moment’s notice, to appease his next whim or mood.

From Literature

Clare spent half his days tending to their whims, but they were a sweet little bunch—adorable, really—short pink stems topped by clusters of yellow buttons.

From Literature

But an important detail intervened: The Federal Reserve Act states that Fed governors can be removed only “for cause,” not at the president’s whim.

From The Wall Street Journal

While China's space programme has been historically slower, "it won't change course at the whim of its leadership either".

From Barron's

Lens added that their domestic league risks being "gradually relegated to the status of an adjustment variable at the whim of the European imperatives of some".

From BBC

Related Words

• impulse
• inclination
• vagary