whirl

American  

[hwurl, wurl] / ʰwɜrl, wɜrl /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

whirl Idioms  

1. see give something a whirl.

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of whirl

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

Explanation

A whirl is a quick spin, and when something whirls, it rotates fast. You can also use it to mean "a try." Hang-gliding? Snake-charming? "Sure," you say. "I'll give it a whirl." Both whirl and spin are words that mean "turn in circles" but that have also come to mean trying something briefly––you might take a car for a spin or take a turn hiking in the Himalayas. All imply an attitude so free-wheeling, so easy, so devil-may-care that it might make your head spin. Or whirl.

Example Sentences

Although quite a few movies have taken place against the whirl of the Cannes Film Festival, only a handful have been shot within sanctioned festival spaces — often because of artistic, logistical and financial constraints.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

An elite dinghy racer in his youth, he gave the Cup a whirl in 1974 on Mariner, a vessel he claimed would be an innovative breakthrough.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

They whirl, bounce, and collide within their confined space like loose change shaking violently in a machine, moving so quickly and unpredictably that standard scientific tools have struggled to track them.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

During a whirl of recent diplomatic engagements, Takaichi played K-pop on the drums with South Korea's president and snapped selfies with Italy's prime minister, casting herself as hard-working, relatable and a symbol of change.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

I whirl around, perhaps too quickly considering that I ain’t supposed to know anything about missing families, but I meet Miss Anderson’s eyes.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

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