whirl

[ wurl, hwurl ]

/ wɜrl, ʰwɜrl /

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See synonyms for: whirl / whirled / whirling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly: The merry-go-round whirled noisily.

to turn about or aside quickly: He whirled and faced his pursuers.

to move, travel, or be carried rapidly along: She whirled along the freeway in her new car.

to feel as though spinning rapidly; reel as from dizziness: My head began to whirl.

verb (used with object)

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

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

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

Obsolete. to hurl.

noun

the act of whirling; rapid rotation or gyration.

a whirling movement; quick turn or swing.

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

something that whirls; a whirling current or mass.

a rapid round of events, affairs, etc.: a whirl of meetings, conferences, and business lunches.

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

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?

Machinery. whip (def. 26).

OTHER WORDS FOR whirl

1 gyrate, pirouette.

5 revolve, twirl, wheel.

9 spin, revolution.

15 try, go, fling, whack.

See synonyms for whirl on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of whirl

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

OTHER WORDS FROM whirl

whirl·er, nounwhirl·ing·ly, adverbout·whirl, verb (used with object)un·whirled, adjective

Words nearby whirl

whip-tailed ray, whiptail wallaby, whip up, whipworm, whir, whirl, whirlabout, whirligig, whirligig beetle, whirling dervish, whirlpool

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

How to use whirl in a sentence

Viewers are surrounded by a whirl of images in which it’s impossible to distinguish real from unreal.
This NFT Painting Is a Work of Art - Issue 104: Harmony|Arthur I. Miller|August 18, 2021|Nautilus
I think within the next 10 years, we ought to be able to predict where fire whirls are likely to form.
What’s Fueling Today’s Extreme Fires - Issue 104: Harmony|Dan Falk|August 4, 2021|Nautilus
It was a giant fire whirl with winds over 100 miles per hour.
What’s Fueling Today’s Extreme Fires - Issue 104: Harmony|Dan Falk|August 4, 2021|Nautilus
Cambage is a whirl of drop-steps, shoulder shoves and jump hooks, her 6-foot-8 frame affording her whatever space she requires.
A’ja Wilson had a rebirth, Liz Cambage is healthy, and Las Vegas is among the WNBA favorites|Robert O'Connell|May 13, 2021|Washington Post

It all makes sense in the whirl of Ide’s fate-driven universe.
Joe Ide’s IQ series continues with the idiosyncratic marvel ‘Smoke’|Maureen Corrigan|February 26, 2021|Washington Post
The dying are deceived by the chemical whirl of “a dying brain.”
Eben Alexander Has a GPS for Heaven|Patricia Pearson|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I never lifted a brush before, I never mixed a paint, so I gave it a whirl.
Dubya’s Portraits of Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin Are Just as Genius as You Hoped|Ann Binlot|April 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A whirl of activity on and off the slopes, Kathy heads the local chapter of Disabled Sports, Eastern Sierra region.
Homefront Veterans: Skiing With Wounded Warriors|John Kael Weston|February 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ted Widmer on the whirl of celebrity and policy that dance across the pages.
The Man with the President’s Ear, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and JFK|Ted Widmer|October 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Sajed fearlessly slapped on the rollerblades to give them a whirl, and a skater was born.
If You Build It, They Will Skate|Maysoon Zayid|July 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Then dawn flung itself impetuously across the hills, and the naked rim of the canyon took form in a shifting whirl of smoke.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
They are, however, much less energetic, and often of greater size than the hurricane whirl.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
They could revel in the rugged measures of ‘Marmion,’ in the whirl and clatter of the ‘Last Minstrel.’
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman
Fragments were spun off the whirl of people, bits of BSG uniforms torn off their wearers and tossed like confetti.
The Great Potlatch Riots|Allen Kim Lang
Her life at this time was a whirl of excitement—excitement of the keenest order—namely, trying on.
With Edged Tools|Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for whirl

whirl

/ (wɜːl) /

verb

to spin, turn, or revolve or cause to spin, turn, or revolve

(intr) to turn around or away rapidly

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

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

noun

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

a condition of confusion or giddinessher accident left me in a whirl

a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc

a tumult; stir

informal a brief trip, dance, etc

give something a whirl informal to attempt or give a trial to something

Derived forms of whirl

whirler, nounwhirling, adjectivewhirlingly, adverb

Word Origin for whirl

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

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with whirl

whirl

see give something a whirl.

whirl

OTHER WORDS FOR whirl

Origin of whirl

OTHER WORDS FROM whirl

Words nearby whirl

Words related to whirl

How to use whirl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whirl

Derived forms of whirl

Word Origin for whirl

Other Idioms and Phrases with whirl