variants
or less commonly whirr
whirred; whirring
: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir
hummingbirds whirring past
: to move or carry rapidly with a whir
variants
or less commonly whirr
: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery
Examples of whir in a Sentence
Verb
the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower
our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road
Noun
the whir of a fan
a whir coming from the refrigerator
Recent Examples on the Web
Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
The Orb’s cameras whirred for a minute, capturing my iris’s texture.
—Jason Henry, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Christopher Bagley, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025
The whir of drumsticks and the beating of drums mesmerized the audience as the curtains opened on the first Harmony Festival put on by the Korean American Association of Laguna Woods.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whir
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Verb
As a three-hour program — Knight opened at 7 p.m. on the dot — Sunday’s show moved quickly, with a rotating stage that whirred to life after each woman’s set.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
The Orb’s cameras whirred for a minute, capturing my iris’s texture.
—Jason Henry, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Noun
An audience of about 75—who all seemed to be locals, except for me and a Dutch couple—roared and cheered as a gifted dancer named David Nieto shook the stage in a whir of heel stomps, wrist flicks, and head snaps.
—Christopher Bagley, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025
The whir of drumsticks and the beating of drums mesmerized the audience as the curtains opened on the first Harmony Festival put on by the Korean American Association of Laguna Woods.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whir
Cite this Entry
“Whir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whir. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whir
1 of 2 verb
variants
also whirr
ˈhwər 
ˈwər
whirred; whirring
: to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a buzzing sound
ceiling fans whirred overhead
whir
2 of 2 noun
variants
also whirr
: a fluttering or vibrating sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery
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