whippy

adjective

whip·​py ˈ(h)wi-pē How to pronounce whippy (audio)
whippier; whippiest
1
: unusually resilient : springy
a whippy fishing rod
2
: of, relating to, or resembling a whip

Examples of whippy in a Sentence

the whippy branches of a weeping willow
Recent Examples on the Web The Butterfly Jig was invented in Japan, where anglers delivered them on light, whippy rods made of carbon fiber that had incredible backbone. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 Diane brushed her yellow-blonde curls off her face, the thin, whippy flagpole in her hand. Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 4 Apr. 2023 Conditions are whippy and gray. Nick Heil, Outside Online, 25 June 2013 And the rifle runs well from the shoulder, though the fluted 22-inch barrel gave it a slightly whippy feel during our off-hand drills. John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2020 Also of use: A whippy fastball that ranged up to 99 mph on Sunday. Allie Morris, Dallas News, 3 Aug. 2020 For instance, some bacteria have flagella, or long, whippy tails rotated by motors. Nicole Yunger Halpern, Scientific American, 18 Apr. 2020 Tennis analysts can see that Mr Federer’s whippy forehand and Serena Williams’ punchy backhand are unique, somehow, but struggle to explain why. J.t., The Economist, 17 Aug. 2019 Sage tweaked the composite of its already whippy Konnetic rod technology to transfer energy more efficiently, for faster casting. Outside Online, 15 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whippy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whippy was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near whippy

Cite this Entry

“Whippy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whippy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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