whimsical

[ hwim-zi-kuhl, wim- ]
See synonyms for: whimsicalwhimsically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. given to whimsy or fanciful notions; capricious: a pixyish, whimsical fellow.

  2. of the nature of or proceeding from whimsy, as thoughts or actions: Her writing showed whimsical notions of human behavior.

  1. erratic; unpredictable: He was too whimsical with regard to his work.

Origin of whimsical

1
First recorded in 1645–55; whims(y) + -ical

Other words from whimsical

  • whim·si·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·whim·si·cal, adjective
  • un·whim·si·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·whim·si·cal·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use whimsical in a sentence

  • Little did I know, back in October, when I whimsically decided on the name, what low-hanging fruits lay ahead.

    Click Here For Good News! | Christopher Buckley | March 8, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Ibrahim was standing there, peeping out whimsically from his fringed and tasselled wrappings, and smoking a cigarette.

    Bella Donna | Robert Hichens
  • Piegan was already mounted, watching us whimsically from under the dripping brim of his hat.

    Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
  • Perhaps she doesnt care for pork and potatoes, my friend, laughed the lady, eyeing Mr. Chumley whimsically.

  • They relieve the walls a little, but they do the work whimsically, and you can neither get a smile nor a tear from them.

  • This woman with the care-graved countenance smiled whimsically as she listened, keeping at the girl's shoulder.

    Ruth Fielding At College | Alice B. Emerson

British Dictionary definitions for whimsical

whimsical

/ (ˈwɪmzɪkəl) /


adjective
  1. spontaneously fanciful or playful

  2. given to whims; capricious

  1. quaint, unusual, or fantastic

Derived forms of whimsical

  • whimsicality (ˌwɪmzɪˈkælɪtɪ), noun
  • whimsically, adverb
  • whimsicalness, noun

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