Meaning

A fanciful impulse, or sudden change of idea..

Definitions by Sense

1. A fanciful impulse, or sudden change of idea.
2. (mining) A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from mines, or for other purposes.
3. (rare, intransitive) To be seized with a whim; to be capricious.
4. A bird, the Eurasian wigeon.

Example Sentences

Let ev’ry Man enjoy his whim; / What’s He to Me, or I to him?

“No, it is not for a wager; it is a whim of mine, which I fancy from the tone of your conversation you could understand, being apparently somewhat whimsical yourself.” “So far as whim goes, be assured of my sympathy.”

The king was tired of this whim of hers long ago, and thought she ought to get married like other people; there was nothing she need wait for, she was old enough and she would not be any richer either, for she was to have half the kingdom, which she inherited after her mother.

[…]the unholy stone whereon Tess had been compelled by Alec d’Urberville, in his whim of reformation, to swear the strange oath that she would never wilfully tempt him again.

[…]“I am sorry to make you the victim of what may seem a mere whim, but on my life, Watson, I simply can’t leave that case in this condition.

“You’re either with me or you’re against me” became Dany’s credo, and those against her were an ever-changing multitude to be determined solely by her whims.

In an internet-dominated world where vain techlords rule us by whim, sovereign governments seem reduced to the role of rearguard guerrillas.

He also disagreed with the idea of cancelling projects "completely at the whim of an individual Prime Minister," citing Rishi Sunak's decision to cancel HS2 north of Handsacre Junction.

Word Forms

• whims
• whimming
• whimmed

Synonyms for whim

Related Words

When Should You Use Whim?

Use whim when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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