swished; swishing; swishes
: to move, pass, swing, or whirl with the sound of a swish
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
plural swishes
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 gay man
: smart, fashionable
Examples of swish in a Sentence
Verb
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.
Noun
the steady swish of the windshield wipers
the mare brushed away the flies with a sweeping swish of her tail
Adjective
a trendy boutique filled with swish accessories for the urban fashionista
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexa Stone
updated October 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
Fill a bowl or sink with water, add a drop of fabric softener, and swish it around.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Wipe toothpaste splatters from the mirror, run a cloth over the counters, and give the toilet bowl a quick swish.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere on this level is a swish office with a skylight and a plush lounge.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for swish
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Verb
Dresses swished and dress shoes clacked against the floor as couples danced for bragging rights in one of the biggest celebrations of Black culture in KC.
—Alexa Stone
updated October 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
Fill a bowl or sink with water, add a drop of fabric softener, and swish it around.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
The tables were empty and the bar deserted, the only sign of life the clank and swish of dishes being washed in the back, through the swinging double doors.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Wipe toothpaste splatters from the mirror, run a cloth over the counters, and give the toilet bowl a quick swish.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
When Barca hosted Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stages in September, Laporta and his counterpart Nasser Al-Khelaifi happily posed together for the cameras before lunch at the Catalan capital’s swish Via Veneto restaurant.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere on this level is a swish office with a skylight and a plush lounge.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for swish
Cite this Entry
“Swish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swish. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swish
1 of 2 verb
: to make, move, or strike with a soft rubbing, hissing, or splashing sound
swish
2 of 2 noun1
: a hissing sound (as of a whip cutting the air) or a sound of soft surfaces rubbing against each other
2
: a swishing movement
swishy
adjective
-ē
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