whirlwind

[hwurl-wind, wurl-]

noun

1. Meteorology.,  a relatively small mass of air rotating rapidly around a more or less vertical axis and simultaneously advancing over land or sea: specific categories of whirlwind include dust devil, dust whirl, tornado, and waterspout.

   The sails were carried up to the mastheads by the force of the whirlwind.

2. anything resembling a whirlwind, as in violent action or destructive force.

   a fiery whirlwind of shrapnel.

3. someone or something characterized by great energy or swiftness, often with an atmosphere of chaos.

   a staff of three do-nothings and one whirlwind; a whirlwind of activity at the stock exchange.

adjective

1. like a whirlwind, as in speed or force.

   a whirlwind visit to New York.

   Synonyms: impulsive, hasty, breakneck, headlong

verb (used without object)

1. to move or travel quickly.

   You can't just whirlwind in and out of their lives and expect them to be OK with that.

whirlwind

/ ˈwɜːlˌwɪnd /

noun

1. a column of air whirling around and towards a more or less vertical axis of low pressure, which moves along the land or ocean surface

2. 1. a motion or course resembling this, esp in rapidity

   2. ( as modifier )

      a whirlwind romance

3. an impetuously active person

Word History and Origins

Origin of whirlwind¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse hvirfilvindr; cognate with German Wirbelwind

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. (sow the wind and) reap the whirlwind, to suffer the penalties for one's misdeeds. Hosea 8:7.

Example Sentences

Amid the whirlwind turns in U.S.-Latin American relations, the rapid unraveling of U.S.-Colombia relations has been especially startling.

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She is one of those exhausting whirlwind personalities one might take to be on drugs, except that there are people who really do run at that speed, without speed — Holly Go-Heavily.

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The recent season of “Love is Blind,” Netflix’s hit dating reality series, was a whirlwind, to say the least.

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The memoir details her historically short run for president, the whirlwind 107 days between the time Biden withdrew from the race and Harris become the Democratic nominee to her devastating loss on Nov. 5.

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But the US president was also noticeably more tense than he had been for the rest of his whirlwind trip to South East Asia - a reflection of the high stakes in Thursday's meeting.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• dust devil 
• tornado 
• waterspout