swish

1 of 3

verb

ˈswish 

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

ˈswi-shiŋ-lē 

adverb

swish

2 of 3

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

swish

3 of 3

adjective

: smart, fashionable

Synonyms of swish

Verb

• hiss

Noun

• whistle
• zip
• fizz

Adjective

• stylish
• fashionable
• happening
• chic

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

Verb

Some deer wag more than others, and whitetails will swish more at different times of year—for example, in summer and into early bow season, when pesky bugs hover. — Tom Carpenter, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026

Alternatively, slice them crosswise and swish well in a bowl of cold water, then lift them out, leaving the dirt behind in the bowl. — Martha Stewart, 20 Sep. 2026

Noun

The Twitch Like wags or swishes, occasional sharp twitches of the tail are no cause for alarm for you, the hunter. — Tom Carpenter, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026

One touch to control the ball with his right foot, his strongest, one glorious swish of his left foot, his weakest, apparently, to smash it home. — Matt Slater, New York Times, 23 June 2026

Adjective

The more the lyrics swish around, the more their implications start to weigh. — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Stuart Broad and Michael Atherton are on the microphones, while statistician Benedict Bermange has just broken off explaining how his very swish touchscreen scoring tablet works. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

Adjective

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1756, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1766, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for swish

• dish
• lish
• wish
• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish

Kids Definition

swish

1 of 2 verb

ˈswish 

: to make, move, or strike with a soft rubbing, hissing, or splashing sound

swish

2 of 2 noun

1

: 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

-ē

adjective