swish

verb \ ˈswish \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of swish

intransitive verb

: to move, pass, swing, or whirl with the sound of a swish

transitive verb

1 : to move, cut, or strike with a swish

the horse swished its tail

2 : to make (a basketball shot) so that the ball falls through the rim without touching it

swished a 3-point jumper

—

swisher

noun

—

swishingly

play \ˈswi-shiŋ-lē\ adverb

See swish defined for English-language learners

See swish defined for kids

Examples of swish in a Sentence

He watched as the windshield wipers swished back and forth.
The horse's tail swished back and forth.
The horse swished its tail back and forth.

Recent Examples of swish from the Web

The miniature ball rolled to then 4-year-old Romeo, who sent the first shot swishing through the net from about 10 feet away.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Recruiting Romeo Langford: Inside decisions regarding Kentucky basketball, UNC and others," 2 Apr. 2018
With Russell Westbrook's hand in his face, McCollum coolly swished the shot, giving the Blazers a 107-105 lead.

— joe freeman, OregonLive.com, "Portland Trail Blazers show toughness, playoff poise in win over Oklahoma City Thunder," 26 Mar. 2018
But the screaming crowd went silent as Newton flung a 35-footer from near the half court sideline that swished through the net a tick before time expired.

— linda robertson, miamiherald, "Miami stuns North Carolina as Newton’s 35-foot shot beats the buzzer and the Tar Heels | Miami Herald," 28 Feb. 2018
For children who are old enough, or who have adult supervision, small bottles of mouthwash used to swish and rinse provide a temporary fix.

— michael suchar, Philly.com, "3 tips from a dentist to keep Valentine's Day sweet for kids' teeth," 13 Feb. 2018
After a long review of the play by the officials, the 80 percent foul shooter swished the first one and missed the second.

— USA TODAY, "Texas A&M holds on for 81-80 upset of No. 8 Auburn," 7 Feb. 2018
The ball swished through the hoop and put Xavier up by 23 points.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Trevon Bluiett put Xavier basketball first en route to 2K points," 25 Jan. 2018
The most impressive thing about Cousins' night, besides demonstrating his freakish athletic talents - a 6-11, 270-pound mountain swishing threes and crossing over small defenders - was his poise.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "`Boogie Ball' bounces Bulls," 23 Jan. 2018
Much earlier, at about the 13-minute mark of the first half, Collin Gillespie spotted up and swished for ’Nova’s sixth 3 of the game, which gave it the NCAA record for 3s in a season, with 442.

— eddie pells, BostonGlobe.com, "Villanova rains threes on Kansas to reach final," 1 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of swish

imitative

First Known Use: 1756

swish Synonyms

Synonyms

switch, wag, waggle;

Related Words

oscillate, rock, sway, swing, waver;

beat, flail, flap, flop, lash, whip;

flick, flicker, flutter, wave;

jerk, jolt;

jig, jiggle, joggle, shake, twitch, wiggle;

bob, jog, nod;

swish

noun

Definition of swish

1 a : a prolonged hissing sound (as of a whip cutting the air)

b : a light sweeping or brushing sound

2 : a swishing movement

3 slang, usually disparaging + offensive : an effeminate homosexual

Examples of swish in a Sentence

the steady swish of the windshield wipers
the mare brushed away the flies with a sweeping swish of her tail

Recent Examples of swish from the Web

After Kyle Korver of the Cavaliers missed an open 3-pointer, Durant spotted up from the top of the arc — swish — for a 114-113 lead.

— scott cacciola, New York Times, "Late Surge Puts Warriors One Step From Postseason Perfection," 8 June 2017
That goes especially for star Johnny Depp, whose Captain Jack Sparrow remains an unchanging and buffoonish blend of swash and swish.

— robert w. butler, kansascity.com, "That sinking feeling: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’," 24 May 2017
Swish swish sounds like it is written by 8 yr old kid or Donald Trump.

— gil kaufman, Billboard, "Watch Katy Perry Finally Explain Taylor Swift Beef, Sing 'Swish, Swish' & More Hits in 'Carpool Karaoke'," 23 May 2017
In a hurricane, those waves can come in quick, short bursts as powerful thunderstorms around the storm’s eye wall swish air up and down like a plunger in a toilet bowl.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "UM researchers find new way to measure hurricanes: ‘gravity waves’," 17 May 2017
The swish was almost inevitable from the area of the court that is his sweet spot.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "Kyrie Irving's late burst shows Cleveland Cavaliers' firepower: Bill Livingston (photos, video)," 8 May 2017
The icing on the cake was the little details that matter: the follow through, the curling down of fingers, the backspin, the holding of the follow through — and of course, the swish.

— mirin fader, Orange County Register, "Baker relishes scoring role for Capistrano Valley," 1 Feb. 2017

swish Synonyms

Synonyms

switch, wag, waggle, whisk;

Related Words

oscillation, rock, sway, swing, waver;

flap, flutter, wave, whip;

flick, jerk, jolt, snap, twitch;

jiggle, shake, wiggle;

bob, nod;

swish

adjective

Definition of swish

: smart, fashionable

See swish defined for English-language learners

Examples of swish in a Sentence

a trendy boutique filled with swish accessories for the urban fashionista

Recent Examples of swish from the Web

At night, a few would wait outside a swish restaurant in my neighborhood.

— lane hartill, The Christian Science Monitor, "A journey from distrust to teammates," 4 Apr. 2018
More: Michigan basketball's miracle win steeped in swag, ended in swishRobinson was on the bench after fouling out against Houston, when Jordan Poole hit a miraculous 3-pointer.

— jeff seidel, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan basketball: Duncan Robinson's defense put to test in Sweet 16," 22 Mar. 2018
Manhattan’s hospitals, with their swish reception desks and menus, can seem like hotels compared with London’s bleached Victorian structures.

— The Economist, "Which firms profit most from America’s health-care system," 15 Mar. 2018
The Best All-Arounder Surface Laptop (i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD), $1,299 This device isn't as swish as the transforming, flexible computers that made the Surface brand famous, but bear with me for a second.

— wired staff, WIRED, "Which Microsoft Surface Should You Buy?," 14 Mar. 2018
Previously, Vidi himself operated Frederick’s, a swish Italian supper club, on the site for two dozen years.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Kanella South's space is being offered for rent," 28 Feb. 2018
If a toothbrush and toothpaste aren’t readily available, swish and rinse teeth thoroughly with water.

— michael suchar, Philly.com, "3 tips from a dentist to keep Valentine's Day sweet for kids' teeth," 13 Feb. 2018
Other furnishings are equally swish: mock-croc chairs, a slender marble writing desk, and a bathroom so lavishly mosaicked that Hadrian himself would approve.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "The London West Hollywood," 20 Oct. 2017
Make meatballs: Place rice in a medium bowl and add water to cover; swish rice with your fingers and then drain off water.

— robyn eckhardt, WSJ, "So Much More Than Meatballs: Roll Your Own Turkish Köfte," 5 Oct. 2017

Origin and Etymology of swish

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1766

SWISH Defined for English Language Learners

swish

verb

Definition of swish for English Language Learners

: to move with or cause (something) to move with a soft sweeping or brushing sound

swish

adjective

Definition of swish for English Language Learners

: fashionable and expensive

SWISH Defined for Kids

swish

verb \ ˈswish \

Definition of swish for Students

swished; swishing

: to make, move, or strike with a soft sweeping or brushing sound

The horse swished its tail.

swish

noun

Definition of swish for Students

1 : a soft sweeping or brushing sound

2 : a movement that produces a sweeping or brushing sound

Learn More about swish

See words that rhyme with swish Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for swish Spanish Central: Translation of swish Nglish: Translation of swish for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of swish for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about swish

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swisher

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swish

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Examples of swish in a Sentence

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swish Synonyms

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swish

Definition of swish

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Recent Examples of swish from the Web

Origin and Etymology of swish

SWISH Defined for English Language Learners

swish

Definition of swish for English Language Learners

swish

Definition of swish for English Language Learners

SWISH Defined for Kids

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Definition of swish for Students

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