whirl

[ wurl, hwurl ]
See synonyms for: whirlwhirledwhirling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
  1. to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly: The merry-go-round whirled noisily.

  2. to turn about or aside quickly: He whirled and faced his pursuers.

  1. to move, travel, or be carried rapidly along: She whirled along the freeway in her new car.

  2. to feel as though spinning rapidly; reel as from dizziness: My head began to whirl.

verb (used with object)
  1. to cause to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly.

  2. to send, drive, or carry in a circular or curving course.

  1. to drive, send, or carry along with great or dizzying rapidity.

  2. Obsolete. to hurl.

noun
  1. the act of whirling; rapid rotation or gyration.

  2. a whirling movement; quick turn or swing.

  1. a short drive, run, walk, or the like; spin.

  2. something that whirls; a whirling current or mass.

  3. a rapid round of events, affairs, etc.: a whirl of meetings, conferences, and business lunches.

  4. a state marked by dizziness or a dizzying succession of feelings, thoughts, etc.

  5. 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?

  6. Machinery. whip (def. 26).

Origin of whirl

1
1250–1300; Middle English whirlen<Old Norse hvirfla to whirl, akin to Old English hwyrflung turning, revolving, hwyrfel circuit; see whorl

Other words for whirl

Other words from whirl

  • whirl·er, noun
  • whirl·ing·ly, adverb
  • out·whirl, verb (used with object)
  • un·whirled, adjective

Words Nearby whirl

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use whirl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whirl

whirl

/ (wɜːl) /


verb
  1. to spin, turn, or revolve or cause to spin, turn, or revolve

  2. (intr) to turn around or away rapidly

  1. (intr) to have a spinning sensation, as from dizziness, etc

  2. to move or drive or be moved or driven at high speed

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

  1. a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc

  2. a tumult; stir

  3. informal a brief trip, dance, etc

  4. give something a whirl informal to attempt or give a trial to something

Origin of whirl

1
C13: from Old Norse hvirfla to turn about; related to Old High German wirbil whirlwind

Derived forms of whirl

  • whirler, noun
  • whirling, adjective
  • whirlingly, adverb

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with whirl

whirl

see give something a whirl.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.