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
Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
Everything, even the Xbox whirring underneath your TV, has embraced the Netflix model.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2025
The traveling chain of support cleared downtown on its way to Placer County as its whirs faded and the quiet sounds of Marysville returned.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whir
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Verb
The couple alternates between passionate embraces and domestic tension (an ambulance shows up in their driveway, at one point, its whirring red and blue light hinting something sinister has just taken place).
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
Everything, even the Xbox whirring underneath your TV, has embraced the Netflix model.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
Every minute or so, the quiet is broken by a mechanical whir, as motors automatically reposition the panels to track the sun’s path across the sky.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2025
The traveling chain of support cleared downtown on its way to Placer County as its whirs faded and the quiet sounds of Marysville returned.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 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 4 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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