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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

"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

adjective

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of whimsy

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

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.

The boy who left Oxford all whimsy and loose, would become someone wondrous... the marvellous Dr. Seuss.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

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 • Jan. 22, 2026

When embarking on technical descriptions, he often adds a touch of whimsy to jolly the reader along.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

“With his Willy Wonka reputation, a lot of people might imagine our offices to be like an amusement park. But no chocolate river or Oompa Loompas here. There are signs of his whimsy, of course.”

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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.