1
: a capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind : fancy
quit his job on a whim
2
: a large capstan that is made with one or more radiating arms to which a horse may be yoked and that is used in mines for raising ore or water
Synonyms of whim
Examples of whim in a Sentence
It's hard to predict voters' whims.
on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream
Recent Examples on the Web
There are still many in this country who value truth, who believe that history should be preserved and not erased, who understand that constitutional rights should not be swept away to suit the whims of a megalomaniac, and who refuse to wallow in ignorance and hate.
—
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
With eight expiring contracts on their books, they were bound to see this volume of turnover — either under their control at the deadline or at the whims of players over the summer.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The island nation, vulnerable to the whims of the Atlantic, has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Danish firm Wavepiston to turn those crashing swells into a 50 MW power source.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
In contrast, executive orders are the whims of a single person.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whim
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Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
With eight expiring contracts on their books, they were bound to see this volume of turnover — either under their control at the deadline or at the whims of players over the summer.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The island nation, vulnerable to the whims of the Atlantic, has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Danish firm Wavepiston to turn those crashing swells into a 50 MW power source.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
In contrast, executive orders are the whims of a single person.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whim
Cite this Entry
“Whim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whim. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whim
noun
ˈhwim 
ˈwim
: an odd or sudden wish, desire, or change of mind
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