whimsy

American  

[hwim-zee, wim-] / ˈʰwɪm zi, ˈwɪm- /

Also whimsey

noun

plural

whimsies

1. capricious humor or disposition; extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful expression.

   a play with lots of whimsy.

2. an odd or fanciful notion.

   Synonyms:

   humor, whim, caprice

3. anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capricious fancy.

   a whimsy from an otherwise thoughtful writer.

---

whimsy British  

/ ˈwɪmzɪ /

noun

1. a capricious idea or notion

2. light or fanciful humour

3. something quaint or unusual

---

adjective

1. quaint, comical, or unusual, often in a tasteless way

Etymology

Origin of whimsy

First recorded in 1595–1605; whim(-wham) + -sy

Example Sentences

There’s got to be some some whimsy about it.

From Los Angeles Times

Jelly of the Month Club hits every beat and chord with precision, with arrangements of songs and medleys that bring together the power of rock’s past with the whimsy of “Peanuts.”

From Los Angeles Times

Gollapudi says he’ll miss the whimsy of it all, if not the stress of having to check in precisely 24 hours before your flight for the best boarding position.

From The Wall Street Journal

Where Paul was formulaic and structured, Prue brought the whimsy and “Let’s just see what happens” attitude, and the two together created the perfect pair, highlighting everything that the art of baking is about.

From Salon

Looking back on my stay, the surprise and the indulgence and the whimsy proved him right.

From Salon

Related Words

• playfulness