whip

1 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wip 

whipped; whipping

transitive verb

1

: to take, pull, snatch, jerk, or otherwise move very quickly and forcefully

whipped out his gun

—Green Peyton

2

a(1)

: to strike with a slender lithe implement (such as a lash or rod) especially as a punishment

(2)

: spank

b

: to drive or urge on by or as if by using a whip

c

: to strike as a lash does

rain whipped the pavement

3

a

: to bind or wrap (something, such as a rope or fishing rod) with cord for protection and strength

b

: to wind or wrap around something

4

: to belabor with stinging words : abuse

5

: to seam or hem with shallow overcasting stitches

6

: to overcome decisively : defeat

7

: to stir up : incite

—usually used with up

trying to whip up a new emotion

—Ellen Glasgow

8

: to produce in a hurry

—usually used with up

a sketch … an artist might whip up

—The New York Times

9

: to fish (water) with rod, line, and artificial lure

10

: to beat (eggs, cream, etc.) into a froth with a utensil (such as a whisk or fork)

11

: to gather together or hold together for united action in the manner of a party whip

intransitive verb

1

: to proceed nimbly or quickly

whipping through the supper dishes

—C. B. Davis

2

: to thrash about flexibly in the manner of a whiplash

a flag … whipping out from its staff

—H. A. Calahan

whipper noun

whip

2 of 2

noun

1

: an instrument consisting usually of a handle and lash forming a flexible rod that is used for whipping

2

: a stroke or cut with or as if with a whip

3

a

: a dessert made by whipping a portion of the ingredients

prune whip

b

: a kitchen utensil made of braided or coiled wire or perforated metal with a handle and used in whipping

4

: one that handles a whip: such as

a

: a driver of horses : coachman

b

: whipper-in sense 1

5

a

: a member of a legislative body appointed by a political party to enforce party discipline and to secure the attendance of party members at important sessions

b

often capitalized : a notice of forthcoming business sent weekly to each member of a political party in the British House of Commons

6

: a whipping or thrashing motion

7

: the quality of resembling a whip especially in being flexible

8

: whip antenna

whiplike

ˈ(h)wip-ˌlīk 

adjective

Phrases

whip into shape

: to bring forcefully to a desired state or condition

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a whip in politics?

In political contexts the word whip refers to a member of a legislature (such as the U.S. Congress or the British Parliament) who is appointed by a political party to make sure that other members are present when votes are taken and that they do the things that they are expected to do.

What is a whip in slang?

Whip has been used as a slang word for "car" since the late 20th century. It's also used as a verb meaning "to drive (a car)."

What does whipped mean in slang use?

In slang use, if someone in a romantic relationship is whipped, they let their romantic partner have a great deal of control over what they do, where they go, etc.

Synonyms

Verb

• birch
• cowhide
• flagellate
• flail
• flog
• hide
• horsewhip
• lash
• leather
• rawhide
• scourge
• slash
• switch
• tan
• thrash
• whale

Noun

• flogger
• lash
• scourge
• switch

Examples of whip in a Sentence

Verb

The jockey whipped his horse.

The riders were getting whipped around on the roller coaster.

He suddenly whipped out a gun.

He whipped off his jacket.

The flag was whipping in the strong wind.

A small branch whipped back and hit him.

The wind whipped the ship's sails.

The shortstop whipped the ball to first base.

The winger whipped a pass toward the net.

Noun

The rider cracked his whip and the horse began to run.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

About 175 yards away, the 11th hole flag was whipping west. —Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 12 Apr. 2024

Watching from the stands, their legs splayed indecently wide, the pair ogle Tashi as the wind whips her short skirt up in the air. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

Hatch’s antioxidant-rich Nipple + Lip Rescue Butter Balm is a multipurpose hydrator that looks chic and subtle enough to whip out during a meeting but is also gentle enough to be used on sensitive nipples. —Macaela MacKenzie, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024

There’s also the matter of the movie’s main villain, Baba Shakti — a white-haired ultranationalist power broker who whips worshipful mobs into a frenzy and who may have looked a little too much like India’s prime minister Narendra Modi for Netflix. —Ty Burr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024

Be gentle when adding the whipped topping because angel food cake tends to be very sticky. —Jessica Furniss, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024

On a recent weekday afternoon, students filtering out of South San Francisco High School stopped at a crosswalk along El Camino Real, waiting for a red light to pause the traffic whipping down the busy six-lane thoroughfare, the site of multiple pedestrian fatalities on the Peninsula each year. —Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024

If the mixture becomes smooth and spreadable, stop there or whip a bit more to lighten. —Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024

California fast-food workers cooking Big Macs or whipping Frappuccinos willstart making a minimum wage of $20 an hour on Monday. —Alina Selyukh, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024

Noun

Other hot-ticket items included the ax from The Shining, which sold for $125,000, and the whip from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which sold for $525,000. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024

Kiddos get two 10-ounce pump bottles of lemon and tangerine gel and a 12-ounce pump bottle of vanilla whip, plus a mixing bowl and recipe cards for six custom creations. —Christin Perry, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024

Cotton is no longer picked with the accompanying crack of a whip. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Some of the most iconic props in Hollywood history hit the auction block last week, from Indiana Jones' trusty whip to Forrest Gump's assorted chocolates to the infamous ax from The Shining. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024

Sticks, staff, swords, sabers, whips, or scepters including extendable items. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024

Uncle followed the first blow with even more vicious ones, and each crack of the whip sounded like thunder in my ears. —Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

The canisters, sometimes called whippets or whip-its, have everyday uses, like in cooking. —Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024

The trailer shows Indy dispatching foes with whips, fists, and trickery but also straight-up plugging them with a revolver and two-handed machine gun. —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wippen, whippen; akin to Middle Dutch wippen to move up and down, sway, Old English wīpian to wipe

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing whip

• a fair crack of the whip
• as smart as a whip
• blacksnake whip
• crack the whip
• had/held the whip hand
• kick/whip/stir up a storm
• pistol-whip
• sea whip
• smart as a whip
• the whip hand
• whip antenna
• whip hand
• whip in
• whip into
• whip into shape
• whip-poor-will
• whip-round
• whip scorpion
• whip smart
• whip stall
• whip through
• whip together
• whip up

Kids Definition

whip

1 of 2 verb

ˈhwip 

ˈwip

whipped; whipping

1

: to move, snatch, or jerk quickly and forcefully

whip out a camera

2

: to strike with something long and thin or flexible

3

: to overcome thoroughly : defeat

4

: to stir up : incite

whip up enthusiasm

5

: to produce in a hurry

whipped up a satisfying meal

6

: to beat into a thick fluffy mass

whip cream

7

: to flap about in a lively manner

sails whipped in the strong wind

whipper noun

whip

2 of 2 noun

1

: a flexible tool for whipping

2

a

: a dessert made by whipping some part of the mixture

b

: a kitchen utensil used in whipping

3

: a whipping motion

whiplike

ˈhwip-ˌlīk 

ˈwip-

adjective