whip

1 of 2

verb

whipped; whipping

transitive verb

1
: to take, pull, snatch, jerk, or otherwise move very quickly and forcefully
whipped out his gunGreen Peyton
2
a(1)
: to strike with a slender lithe implement (such as a lash or rod) especially as a punishment
(2)
: spank
b
: to drive or urge on by or as if by using a whip
c
: to strike as a lash does
rain whipped the pavement
3
a
: to bind or wrap (something, such as a rope or fishing rod) with cord for protection and strength
b
: to wind or wrap around something
4
: to belabor with stinging words : abuse
5
: to seam or hem with shallow overcasting stitches
6
: to overcome decisively : defeat
7
: to stir up : incite
usually used with up
trying to whip up a new emotionEllen Glasgow
8
: to produce in a hurry
usually used with up
a sketch … an artist might whip upThe New York Times
9
: to fish (water) with rod, line, and artificial lure
10
: to beat (eggs, cream, etc.) into a froth with a utensil (such as a whisk or fork)
11
: to gather together or hold together for united action in the manner of a party whip

intransitive verb

1
: to proceed nimbly or quickly
whipping through the supper dishesC. B. Davis
2
: to thrash about flexibly in the manner of a whiplash
a flag … whipping out from its staffH. A. Calahan
whipper noun

whip

2 of 2

noun

1
: an instrument consisting usually of a handle and lash forming a flexible rod that is used for whipping
2
: a stroke or cut with or as if with a whip
3
a
: a dessert made by whipping a portion of the ingredients
prune whip
b
: a kitchen utensil made of braided or coiled wire or perforated metal with a handle and used in whipping
4
: one that handles a whip: such as
a
: a driver of horses : coachman
5
a
: a member of a legislative body appointed by a political party to enforce party discipline and to secure the attendance of party members at important sessions
b
often capitalized : a notice of forthcoming business sent weekly to each member of a political party in the British House of Commons
6
: a whipping or thrashing motion
7
: the quality of resembling a whip especially in being flexible
8
whiplike adjective
Phrases
whip into shape
: to bring forcefully to a desired state or condition

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a whip in politics?

In political contexts the word whip refers to a member of a legislature (such as the U.S. Congress or the British Parliament) who is appointed by a political party to make sure that other members are present when votes are taken and that they do the things that they are expected to do.

What is a whip in slang?

Whip has been used as a slang word for "car" since the late 20th century. It's also used as a verb meaning "to drive (a car)."

What does whipped mean in slang use?

In slang use, if someone in a romantic relationship is whipped, they let their romantic partner have a great deal of control over what they do, where they go, etc.

Examples of whip in a Sentence

Verb The jockey whipped his horse. The riders were getting whipped around on the roller coaster. He suddenly whipped out a gun. He whipped off his jacket. The flag was whipping in the strong wind. A small branch whipped back and hit him. The wind whipped the ship's sails. The shortstop whipped the ball to first base. The winger whipped a pass toward the net. Noun The rider cracked his whip and the horse began to run.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Where lake and land meet, the water can be whipped by the wind into crashing surf. David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 Although vaguely surprised that the audience above the shiny people was so vast, my concentration whipped back to a naked John Cena. Longreads, 15 Mar. 2024 Santa Ana winds will whip across California, with power outages and downed trees likely. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Non-dairy whipped topping aerates the pudding and gives it a luscious, fluffy consistency. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 Peso whips around with a giant grin on his face and points at me. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024 Saigon Oi Southeast Asia has monsoon season; Sacramento had the 60 MPH gusts and sporadic rainfall that whipped the region in February. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 Winslet quickly whipped her head around and trained her eyes back toward the ocean. Susan Dominus, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 The clouds aren’t placid but constantly on the move, whipping around the planet in two to four days. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
Noun
The trailer shows Indy dispatching foes with whips, fists, and trickery but also straight-up plugging them with a revolver and two-handed machine gun. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024 Senate District 37 - David Yates (D) David Yates (D) — Yates has been in office since 2021 and serves as the minority whip. Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 10 Jan. 2024 Could the fantasy image of a man with a whip controlling all the women in his life, and in his mind, have played differently to film aficionados 60 years ago? Steven Gaydos, Variety, 9 Jan. 2024 Tom Emmer went on to claim the seat, and the nearly 10-year Republican congressman now is the House majority whip. David Mark, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024 Emmer is the House majority whip, the third-highest position in the chamber. Mark Zdechlik, Twin Cities, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wippen, whippen; akin to Middle Dutch wippen to move up and down, sway, Old English wīpian to wipe

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whip was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near whip

Cite this Entry

“Whip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whip. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whip

1 of 2 verb
ˈhwip How to pronounce whip (audio)
ˈwip
whipped; whipping
1
: to move, snatch, or jerk quickly and forcefully
whip out a camera
2
: to strike with something long and thin or flexible
3
: to overcome thoroughly : defeat
4
: to stir up : incite
whip up enthusiasm
5
: to produce in a hurry
whipped up a satisfying meal
6
: to beat into a thick fluffy mass
whip cream
7
: to flap about in a lively manner
sails whipped in the strong wind
whipper noun

whip

2 of 2 noun
1
: a flexible tool for whipping
2
a
: a dessert made by whipping some part of the mixture
b
: a kitchen utensil used in whipping
3
: a whipping motion
whiplike adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on whip

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