whale

1 of 3

noun

ˈ(h)wāl 

plural whales

often attributive

1

or plural whale : any of various very large, aquatic, marine mammals (order Cetacea) that have a torpedo-shaped body with a thick layer of blubber, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, a horizontally flattened tail, and nostrils that open externally at the top of the head

also : cetacean see baleen whale, toothed whale

2

: one that is impressive especially in size

a whale of a difference

a whale of a good time

whalelike

ˈ(h)wāl-ˌlīk 

adjective

whale

2 of 3

verb (1)

whaled; whaling

intransitive verb

: to engage in whale fishing

whale

3 of 3

verb (2)

whaled; whaling

transitive verb

1

: lash, thrash

2

: to strike or hit vigorously

3

: to defeat soundly

Synonyms

Noun

• behemoth
• blockbuster
• colossus
• dinosaur
• dreadnought
• elephant
• giant
• Goliath
• jumbo
• leviathan
• mammoth
• mastodon
• monster
• titan
• whopper

Verb (2)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clock
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• zap

Examples of whale in a Sentence

Noun

a whale of a pickup truck

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Who will protect the turtles, whales and fish crossing borders into cooler waters? —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023

Researchers observed polar bears and grizzlies at the site of a beached whale carcass and found the polar bears to walk away when challenged. —Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 6 Sep. 2023

Either the whale dove at the last minute or the recording device slipped off the whale’s back and had to be fished out of the water. —Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023

The site where Stallworth and Gentry discovered the whale skull was on a swath of land owned by the teenager’s family for timber. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023

The whale, whose name was changed to Toki, had been experiencing signs of distress from what the aquarium's medical staff believed was a renal condition according to social media posts at the time of the whale's death. —James Powel, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023

Jonah and the whale (of a slump breaker) A couple of days off did, in fact, seem to do Jonah Heim some good. —Evan Grant, Dallas News, 27 Aug. 2023

After sneaking aboard Thrawn’s ship, Ezra summoned a hyperspace-hopping space whale called a Purrgil to latch onto the ship and shoot them both into deep space. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 22 Aug. 2023

The officers Monday made sure that boaters were keeping their distance and complying when whales were spotted, and handed out information that’s aligned with guidelines set by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association on what to do when whales are spotted, Burney said. —Breanne Kovatch, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hwæl; akin to Old High German hwal whale and perhaps to Latin squalus sea fish

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1700, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing whale

• Antarctic minke whale
• a whale of a time
• blue whale
• fin whale
• beaked whale
• great white whale
• gray whale
• common minke whale
• northern minke whale
• right whale
• pilot whale
• minke whale
• sei whale
• southern minke whale
• whale shark
• toothed whale
• white whale
• sperm whale
• whale watch
• bowhead whale
• whalebone whale
• baleen whale
• killer whale

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• Antarctic minke whale
• a whale of a time
• blue whale
• fin whale
• beaked whale
• great white whale
• gray whale
• common minke whale
• northern minke whale
• right whale
• pilot whale
• minke whale
• sei whale
• southern minke whale
• whale shark
• toothed whale
• white whale
• sperm whale
• whale watch
• bowhead whale
• whalebone whale
• baleen whale
• killer whale

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Kids Definition

whale

1 of 3 noun

ˈhwā(ə)l 

ˈwā(ə)l

plural whales or whale

1

: a water-dwelling mammal (as a humpback whale or a killer whale) that is a cetacean of usually very large size with a torpedo-shaped body, front limbs modified into flippers but no hind limbs, and a tail flattened and extended to the sides as flukes and that usually breathes through an opening on top of the head compare baleen whale, toothed whale

2

: something large enough to catch attention

it made a whale of a difference

whale

2 of 3 verb

whaled; whaling

: to hunt whales

whale

3 of 3 verb

whaled; whaling

1

: thrash sense 2a

2

: to hit hard

whaled the ball

Etymology

Noun

Old English hwæl "whale"

Verb

origin unknown