whimsical

[ hwim-zi-kuhl, wim- ]

See synonyms for: whimsical whimsically on Thesaurus.com

adjective

given to whimsy or fanciful notions; capricious: a pixyish, whimsical fellow.
of the nature of or proceeding from whimsy, as thoughts or actions: Her writing showed whimsical notions of human behavior.

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

Origin of whimsical

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

The whimsical videos of Berkeley’s Ippuku are the best thing going on Bay Area food Instagram
This Yakitori Restaurant’s Instagram Films Are a Pandemic-Times Delight | Luke Tsai | January 12, 2021 | Eater
On social media, I’m a lot more likely to post the thought at the end of the experience, which might come out in a whimsical poem.
Alexi Pappas's New Book Tackles the Heavy Stuff | Molly Mirhashem | January 11, 2021 | Outside Online
The city is a wonderfully diverse community with fresh ideas, whimsical avenues, and inspiring artisans.
Berkeley: A City That Fights for the Rights of All | LGBTQ-Editor | November 20, 2020 | No Straight News
Flavoring your own booze at home is a fun, whimsical way to push the limits of your favorite bottle.
Infuse your booze to add some flavor to the holidays | By Dan Q. Dao/Saveur | November 6, 2020 | Popular-Science
I loved Snoopy’s flights of fancy and the glum-but-whimsical world the comic took place in, most of all.
Watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with a 5-year-old | Emily VanDerWerff | October 30, 2020 | Vox

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.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison
They relieve the walls a little, but they do the work whimsically, and you can neither get a smile nor a tear from them.
Our Churches and Chapels | Atticus
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

spontaneously fanciful or playful
given to whims; capricious

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

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