whirl
Americanverb (used without object)
-
whirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whirled,
past participle, past
-
whirling
present participle
-
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.
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to feel as though spinning rapidly; reel as from dizziness.
My head began to whirl.
verb (used with object)
-
whirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whirled,
past participle, past
-
whirling
present participle
noun
-
whirls
plural
-
the act of whirling; rapid rotation or gyration.
- Synonyms:
- revolution, spin
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a whirling movement; quick turn or swing.
-
a short drive, run, walk, or the like; spin.
-
something that whirls; a whirling current or mass.
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a rapid round of events, affairs, etc..
a whirl of meetings, conferences, and business lunches.
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a state marked by dizziness or a dizzying succession of feelings, thoughts, etc.
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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.
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 giddiness
her accident left me in a whirl
-
a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc
-
a tumult; stir
-
informal a brief trip, dance, etc
-
informal to attempt or give a trial to something
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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whirlernoun
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outwhirlverb (used with object)
-
unwhirledadjective
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whirlingadjective
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whirlinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whirlsimple
-
whirlssimple
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have whirledperfect
-
has whirledperfect
-
am whirlingprogressive
-
are whirlingprogressive
-
is whirlingprogressive
-
have been whirlingperfect progressive
-
has been whirlingperfect progressive
Past
-
whirledsimple
-
had whirledperfect
-
was whirlingprogressive
-
were whirlingprogressive
-
had been whirlingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing whirl
English Words Derived from Old Norse
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"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
The footage shows an aerial view of the bus crash with the whirl of the helicopter in the background.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
In Ada Louise Huxtable’s architecture writing, buildings whirl off their footings and built interiors entice us to dance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 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
It was like a small tornado had settled at the tree line, and snow began to whirl around faster and faster.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
According to the researchers, fire whirls can burn crude oil nearly twice as fast as traditional in situ fire pools.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
In a first-of-its-kind large-scale study, scientists created giant fire whirls, spinning columns of flame that resemble fire tornadoes, and found they burn oil faster and more cleanly than conventional methods.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
When the slick became too deep, the fire whirls went out before consuming all of the fuel.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
He stamps his feet, whirls his arms and screams at whichever referee is unlucky enough to be within earshot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
My head whirls like a leaf in a stream, but I force my paws to pull me forward.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
"When I left, I left with nothing," he told AFP, as waiters whirled past carrying steaming plates of traditional Syrian fare.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
The tiles whirled, twisting and turning like helicopter seeds or bird wings, before hitting the metal dumpster below.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025
Faint noises from boat engines whirled in the air.
From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 2024
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Lee whirled through open waters on Thursday as forecasters warned it could become the first Category 5 storm of the Atlantic season.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
Whenever one of the missiles landed intact on the rubble pile, she would seize it, standing in full view as she whirled the corded iron round and round, releasing it in a blur of speed.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Hernandez gets a bit teary-eyed when talking about his favorite song, “Sentimientos,” a whirling polka-driven ballad about an avoidant situationship, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
"We opened two containers every day in the yard," he said, sitting in his office beside a whirling fan.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
Distressing images thunder into her head uninvited, whirling around and around until she feels like she is drowning in them.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
The director typically makes it into a carnival ride, a whirling montage that turns smoke-choked ’70s Vegas into heaven.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
Two score of sling-rats ran forward, whirling their stone-laden weapons.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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