whimsical

adjective whim·si·cal \ ˈhwim-zi-kəl , ˈwim- \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of whimsical

1 a : resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice; especially : lightly fanciful

whimsical decorations

b : subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change

2 : full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims

—

whimsicality

play \ˌhwim-zə-ˈka-lə-tē, ˌwim-\ noun

—

whimsically

play \ˈhwim-zi-k(ə-)lē, ˈwim-\ adverb

—

whimsicalness

play \ˈhwim-zi-kəl-nəs, ˈwim-\ noun

See whimsical defined for English-language learners

See whimsical defined for kids

whimsical was our Word of the Day on 01/19/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of whimsical in a Sentence

You can practically taste the tropics in these whimsical doughnuts. Ripe bananas, toasted coconut and your favorite rum transform traditional doughnuts into paradisiacal ones. —Janice Wald Henderson, Chocolatier, March 2001
Unlike the broad slapstick humor of Musical Mose and other early Herriman strips, Krazy Kat was gentle, fey, and whimsical. —Jeet Heer, Lingua Franca, September 2001
In the whimsical linguistics of theoretical physics, the "naked" electron is an imaginary object cut off from the influences of the field, whereas a "dressed" electron carries the imprint of the universe, but it is all buried in extremely tiny modifications to its bare properties. —Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
She has a whimsical sense of humor.
it's hard to make plans with such a whimsical best friend

Recent Examples of whimsical from the Web

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter To be sure, American gunmakers also diversified to cope with whimsical government demand.

— priya satia, Time, "The Hidden Link Between Mass Shootings in the U.S. and the Global Economic History of the Firearms Industry," 10 Apr. 2018
These sorts of whimsical challenges — creating new cocktails with seasonal ingredients, while sticking to a theme — continue to guide Ward’s approach at R. Bar.

— wesley case, baltimoresun.com, "R. Bar celebrates John Waters with spring cocktail menu," 9 Apr. 2018
Kenneth Cole Heart-Print Sneakers Editor’s Pick: Celebrities love this Kam sneaker, and the appliqué heart detail gives this classical style a whimsical twist.

— sharon kanter, PEOPLE.com, "5 Must-Have Spring Shoes According to Insiders - Plus, See the Epic New Bloomingdale's Shoe Floor!," 4 Apr. 2018
Customize cocktail napkins with playful images of poker chips, or write guests names on playing cards to create whimsical place settings.

— jennifer fernandez, ELLE Decor, "Here's Why Playing Poker Is The Best Way To Spend Your Next Ladies Night," 2 Apr. 2018
But on South Street Sunday, Easter was celebrated in a colorful, whimsical, bunny-ears-aplenty way.

— diane mastrull, Philly.com, "On South Street, Easter finery - and many bunnies - mark an 87-year tradition," 1 Apr. 2018
In Isle of Dogs and elsewhere, Japan and its visual and linguistic characteristics serve as a whimsical wonderland for Western auteurs to interpret and re-create.

— nina li coomes, The Atlantic, "Unpacking the Fictional Japan of Isle of Dogs," 31 Mar. 2018
Other golden Greek gods and goddesses were in repose throughout adding a whimsical touch to the decorative transformation the organizers made, including Greek columns placed throughout and draping the main room in white, creating an elegant setting.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "Sugarplum Ball transforms into a Grecian Gala for Children's Hospital," 28 Mar. 2018
The look in question features whimsical garden-themed accents fit for a fairy, including tiny flowers and butterfly stickers intricately placed on and around the brows, as well as a lush-green base that imparts a grassy effect.

— kaleigh fasanella, Allure, "“Garden Brows” Are Going Viral on Instagram, and I Lowkey Want to Try Them This Spring," 26 Mar. 2018

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

Trace whimsical Back to the 16th Century

As you may have guessed, the words whimsical, whim, and whimsy are related. All three ultimately derive from the word whim-wham ("a whimsical object" or "a whim"), which is of unknown origin and dates to at least 1500. Whimsy was the first of the three to spin off from whim-wham, debuting in print in 1605. English speakers then added the adjective suffix -ical to whimsy to create whimsical, dating from 1653. Whim, which came about as a shortened version of whim-wham, appeared as early as 1641 in a sense that is now obsolete, but its current sense of "a sudden wish, desire, or change of mind" didn't appear in print until 1686.