whir

1 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wər 

variants or less commonly whirr

whirred; whirring

intransitive verb

: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir

hummingbirds whirring past

transitive verb

: to move or carry rapidly with a whir

whir

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly whirr

: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion

the whir of machinery

Synonyms

Verb

• hum

Noun

• hum
• purr
• whisper
• buzz

Examples of whir in a Sentence

Verb

the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower

our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road

Noun

the whir of a fan

a whir coming from the refrigerator

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The base is a single can of black beans, whirred together in a food processor with taco seasoning or a quick pinch of whatever spices are around. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2025

Helicopters constantly whir overhead and the demonstrations often force traffic to come to a stop or to slow at major thoroughfares. —Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025

Noun

The whir of the white noise machine that helped my daughter fall back asleep. —Aisha Muharrar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025

The valley floor hums with cowbells and the distant whir of paragliders circling above alpine meadows—as Trümmelbach’s glacial torrents roar through limestone caverns. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English (Scots) quirren, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish hvirre to whirl, whir

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1677, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

whir

1 of 2 verb

variants also whirr

ˈhwər 

ˈwər

whirred; whirring

: to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a buzzing sound

ceiling fans whirred overhead

whir

2 of 2 noun

variants also whirr

: a fluttering or vibrating sound made by something in rapid motion

the whir of machinery