swish

verb \ ˈswish \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

Examples: swish in a Sentence

Definition of swish

swished; swishing; swishes

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

With Corey Brewer and Jerami Grant swishing threes and Raymond Felton completing fast-break layups, the Thunder reeled off a 16-0 run.

— joe freeman, OregonLive.com, "Portland Trail Blazers hang on to beat Oklahoma City Thunder 108-105: Rapid reaction," 25 Mar. 2018
Big 12 player of the year Devonté Graham was his usual steady self, and Svi Mykhailiuk swished threes.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "Next Sunflower Showdown shaped by players named Malik and Makol | The Kansas City Star," 8 Mar. 2018
Breslin erupted when Bridges swished a jumper over Purdue’s Ryan Cline to put the Spartans ahead.

— chris solari, Detroit Free Press, "Miles Bridges' 3-pointer clinches MSU win vs. No. 3 Purdue, 68-65," 10 Feb. 2018
Under pressure from Paul, Curry swished a 3 from way back with 5:06 left in the third.

— janie mccauley, chicagotribune.com, "Stephen Curry comes alive to score 35, Warriors rout Rockets by 41," 20 May 2018
Rockets guard Eric Gordon swished a rainbow 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave his team its largest lead of the night and sent Houston into the half holding a 64-37 advantage.

— william guillory, NOLA.com, "Tired legs catch up to Pelicans in blowout loss to Rockets," 24 Mar. 2018
Bledsoe quickly pushed a pass to Brogdon in the corner and the reigning Rookie of the Year swished a trey with 33.5 seconds left to put the Bucks back up two.

— matt velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks 104, Celtics 102: Giannis Antetokounmpo's tip-in helps even series," 22 Apr. 2018
Chadli was totally unmarked and did exactly what was needed, swishing the ball past the goalkeeper.

— laurent dubois, The Atlantic, "The Improbable Beauty of Lukaku’s Hop," 6 July 2018
Ruffin caught a pass intended for a Toronto player and threw the ball in the air to milk the clock, but its airtime was pitiful and the Raptors’ Morris Peterson recovered it and swished a 3-pointer.

— angel guerrero, sacbee, "Even JR Smith is confused over his Finals flub. But was it a Top 5 basketball blunder?," 2 June 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

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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

This week’s openings Branzino | Rittenhouse Luan Toto’s swish Italian BYOB is back at 261 S. 17th St., two years after a fire.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Let's Eat: Smile and order lunch," 4 Apr. 2018
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

Origin and Etymology of swish

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1766

in the meaning defined above

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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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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