variants
or less commonly whirr
whirred; whirring
: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir
hummingbirds whirring past
: to move or carry rapidly with a whir
variants
or less commonly whirr
: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery
Synonyms
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
Erin Nolan, New York Times, 2 June 2024
As its blades whirred, guests craned their necks to watch as Mr. Boesky emerged in a tuxedo and black tie, by all accounts looking like a latter-day James Bond and completely upstaging the host family.
—Leslie Wayne, New York Times, 20 May 2024
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 5 June 2024
The audience snaps and hums, layering their own harmony over the soft whir of the ceiling fan and the cars rushing down North Broadway.
—Claire O’Callahan, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for whir 
Verb
During the parade, police helicopters and drones whirred overhead as police dogs and hundreds of officers patrolled the area.
—Erin Nolan, New York Times, 2 June 2024
As its blades whirred, guests craned their necks to watch as Mr. Boesky emerged in a tuxedo and black tie, by all accounts looking like a latter-day James Bond and completely upstaging the host family.
—Leslie Wayne, New York Times, 20 May 2024
Noun
Expand All At the Republic Services Recycling Center on Cole Road, waste whirs on a conveyor belt past workers who scramble to pull contaminants off the line.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 5 June 2024
The audience snaps and hums, layering their own harmony over the soft whir of the ceiling fan and the cars rushing down North Broadway.
—Claire O’Callahan, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for whir
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near whir
Cite this Entry
“Whir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whir. Accessed 15 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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