whir

or whirr

[ hwur, wur ]

/ ʰwɜr, wɜr /

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See synonyms for: whir / whirred / whirring / whirs on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), whirred, whir·ring.

to go, fly, revolve, or otherwise move quickly with a humming or buzzing sound: An electric fan whirred softly in the corner.

verb (used with object), whirred, whir·ring.

to move or transport (a thing, person, etc.) with a whirring sound: The plane whirred them away into the night.

noun

an act or sound of whirring: the whir of wings.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of whir

1350–1400; Middle English quirre (Scots ) <Scandinavian; compare Danish hvirre,Norwegian kvirra.See whirl

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

How to use whir in a sentence

Cameras whirred and clicked, but the room was otherwise silent.
The NRA: From Awful to Even Worse|Michelle Cottle|December 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Cameras snapped and whirred, yet he was hidden in plain sight.
The Rage in Bob Dylan's "Tempest"|David Yaffe|September 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Wheel-spokes whirred in the air and he saw a buggy, with the top down, rattling down another street in a cloud of dust.
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine|John Fox, Jr.
At length the car whirred up the last hill, and stopped in front of the darkened house where she was to sleep.
Mountain|Clement Wood

It gained speed until it whirred into an invisible copper haze between them.
The Jewels of Aptor|Samuel R. Delany
It whipped around steadily, gaining speed until it whirred into an invisible copper haze.
The Jewels of Aptor|Samuel R. Delany
With that idea she grazed the shallows of reality, and her dreams whirred from the nest and left it hungrily empty.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete|George Meredith

British Dictionary definitions for whir

whir

whirr

/ (wɜː) /

noun

a prolonged soft swish or buzz, as of a motor working or wings flapping

a bustle or rush

verb whirs, whirrs, whirring or whirred

to make or cause to make a whir

Word Origin for whir

C14: probably from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian kvirra, Danish hvirre; see whirl

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

whir

or whirr

Origin of whir

Words related to whir

How to use whir in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whir

whirr

Word Origin for whir