whim
[hwim, wim]
- 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.
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Origin of whim
First recorded in 1635–45; short for whim-wham
Synonyms
See more synonyms for whim on Thesaurus.com1. whimsy, vagary, caprice.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for whims
Contemporary Examples
There is no middle ground in submitting our sacred rights to the whims of foreign tyrants.
They are not locked into the whims of those more powerful, because their knowledge and abilities open doors.
The whims of fashionistas have brought us bellbottoms and skinny jeans and everything in between.
A president can do it, indulging his whims through unwritten laws and executive action.
Except the majority ruling makes clear the interests of those women simply don't matter as much as the whims of corporations.
Historical Examples
It was quite evident that "my niece" was a young person of whims.
Kent Knowles: QuahaugJoseph C. Lincoln
I have ruined my life to satisfy one of your whims; surely that ought to suffice.
Pretty Madcap DorothyLaura Jean Libbey
It takes on the color of any composer's ideas, and submits like a slave to the whims of any virtuoso.
MelomaniacsJames Huneker
This was decidedly interesting, since it resembled her own whims.
The Gorgeous GirlNalbro Bartley
Even if you are a prince, the world cannot always run just to suit your whims.
whim
- a sudden, passing, and often fanciful idea; impulsive or irrational thought
- a horse-drawn winch formerly used in mining to lift ore or water
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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 whims
whim
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper