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
Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
The lights were off, and the overhead projection screen illuminated by a whirring tan-and-gray reel of film that 9-year-old Marcus Sedberry handled while standing in the back of the classroom.
—Jesse Temple, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Aratus, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The two men are alone on the trail, the only sounds the runner’s breathing, the pounding of his feet on the path, the whir of the bike’s wheels and occasional snatches of birdsong.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whir
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Verb
Almost from the moment movie cameras first started whirring in China, filmmakers have flocked to Shanghai.
—Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
The lights were off, and the overhead projection screen illuminated by a whirring tan-and-gray reel of film that 9-year-old Marcus Sedberry handled while standing in the back of the classroom.
—Jesse Temple, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
And crows will mimic the crystalline splashing of rain yet to come, or after two deep croaks
will set up a whir with furious wingbeats.
—Aratus, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The two men are alone on the trail, the only sounds the runner’s breathing, the pounding of his feet on the path, the whir of the bike’s wheels and occasional snatches of birdsong.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 21 Apr. 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 4 Jul. 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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