whimsical
Americanadjective
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spontaneously fanciful or playful
-
given to whims; capricious
-
quaint, unusual, or fantastic
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of whimsical
Explanation
Whimsical means full of or characterized by whims, which are odd ideas that usually occur to you very suddenly. If you decide at the last minute to fly to Europe, you could say you went there on a whim. Whimsical can also mean tending toward odd or unpredictable behavior. Both whimsical and whim are derived from an earlier English word whim-wham, which is of unknown origin. Whim-wham had about the same meaning as whim, but could also refer to an odd object or piece of clothing.
Vocabulary lists containing whimsical
Grade 10, List 5
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The Handmaid's Tale
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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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.
When PJ Magerko-Liquorice and Jordan Millington-Liquorice married in rural southeastern Pennsylvania four years ago, they curated whimsical and personal touches.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Featuring about 40 colored pencil drawings — mostly on real menus from L.A. restaurants — the whimsical show is a love letter to his Fairfax neighborhood.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
While much of the album feels appropriately bittersweet, McCartney finds plenty of time for whimsical diversions.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
Celebrities are arriving to the 2026 Met Gala with their take on this year's theme - Costume Art - where organisers asked attendees to experiment with the lavish and whimsical dress code.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
“So, at last she’s done it,” Zella says with a whimsical smile.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
