whirl

[hwurl, wurl]

verb (used without object)

1. to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly.

   The merry-go-round whirled noisily.

   Synonyms: pirouette, gyrate

2. to turn about or aside quickly.

   He whirled and faced his pursuers.

3. to move, travel, or be carried rapidly along.

   She whirled along the freeway in her new car.

4. to feel as though spinning rapidly; reel as from dizziness.

   My head began to whirl.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly.

   Synonyms: wheel, twirl, revolve

2. to send, drive, or carry in a circular or curving course.

3. to drive, send, or carry along with great or dizzying rapidity.

4. Obsolete.,  to hurl.

noun

1. the act of whirling; rapid rotation or gyration.

   Synonyms: revolution, spin

2. a whirling movement; quick turn or swing.

3. a short drive, run, walk, or the like; spin.

4. something that whirls; a whirling current or mass.

5. a rapid round of events, affairs, etc..

   a whirl of meetings, conferences, and business lunches.

6. a state marked by dizziness or a dizzying succession of feelings, thoughts, etc.

7. an attempt or trial, especially one undertaken tentatively or experimentally.

   Even if you don't agree with my plan, won't you give it a whirl?

   Synonyms: whack, fling, go, try

8. Machinery.,  whip.

whirl

/ wɜːl /

verb

1. to spin, turn, or revolve or cause to spin, turn, or revolve

2. (intr) to turn around or away rapidly

3. (intr) to have a spinning sensation, as from dizziness, etc

4. to move or drive or be moved or driven at high speed

noun

1. the act or an instance of whirling; swift rotation or a rapid whirling movement

2. a condition of confusion or giddiness

   her accident left me in a whirl

3. a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc

4. a tumult; stir

5. informal,  a brief trip, dance, etc

6. informal,  to attempt or give a trial to something

Other Word Forms

• whirler noun
• whirlingly adverb
• outwhirl verb (used with object)
• unwhirled adjective
• whirling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of whirl¹

1250–1300; Middle English whirlen < Old Norse hvirfla to whirl, akin to Old English hwyrflung turning, revolving, hwyrfel circuit; whorl

Word History and Origins

Origin of whirl¹

C13: from Old Norse hvirfla to turn about; related to Old High German wirbil whirlwind

Idioms and Phrases

see give something a whirl.

Example Sentences

The man whirls the woman away from him, only for time to slow.

Read more on Literature

Boris crouched down, Constantin held out his arms, and the two boys flew at each other in a violent whirl of arms and legs.

Read more on Literature

Dr. Westminster flapped his bent arms like wings, whirled in a circle, and wiggled his bottom as if it were a tail.

Read more on Literature

An All Black pass went to ground and Henry Pollock, a whirl of peroxide energy, got his toe to the ball first and grubbered into space.

Read more on BBC

It’s a disorienting whirl from New York to Tokyo to London to Paris to Rome to Atlanta to New Jersey, which I guess is the point.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• gyrate 
• pirouette 
• pivot 
• revolve 
• rotate 
• swirl 
• twirl 
• whir