whir

verb \ ˈhwər , ˈwər \

variants: or less commonly whirr

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of whir

whirred; whirring

intransitive verb

: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir

hummingbirds whirring past

transitive verb

: to move or carry rapidly with a whir

See whir defined for kids

Examples of whir in a Sentence

the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower
our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road

Recent Examples of whir from the Web

Tattoo needles whirred and guitars roared Saturday, the second day of the 11th annual Musink Tattoo Convention and Music Festival at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

— daily pilot staff, latimes.com, "Ink flows and bands rock at Musink festival in Costa Mesa," 17 Mar. 2018
It’s Olympics time again, and soon some of the world’s best athletes will be schussing down the slopes, whirring through the air, zooming down the tracks and skating across the ice.

— the new york times, Houston Chronicle, "Things you need to know about the 2018 Winter Olympics," 6 Feb. 2018
Whether dancing chest to chest or obliquely angled, Godoy and Lugones whip across the floor, legs whirring like blades on a fan.

— thea singer, Scientific American, "Does Dancing Just Feel Good, or Did It Help Early Humans Survive?," 23 July 2017
The car is far from road-ready: there’s a clumsy spinning radar on the roof and a trunk full of whirring gadgetry.

— Time, "Baidu's Robin Li is Helping China Win the 21st Century," 18 Jan. 2018
Norway brought two, often whirring away in the basement of a nearby hotel.

— author: david segal, Anchorage Daily News, "Tough job: Norway’s ski wax chief is only noticed when he fails," 14 Feb. 2018
As traffic whirred by on the I-95 overpass above them, a group of birdwatchers peered through their binoculars.

— alison knezevich, baltimoresun.com, "Patterson Park Audubon Center's winter weekend highlights urban birdwatching," 10 Feb. 2018
Old silver sewing machines clang and whir as employees methodically stich together panels of leather.

— kalyn kahler, SI.com, "The Super Bowl Is a Showcase for Ada, Ohio, the Town Where Footballs Are Born," 28 Jan. 2018
Tires whirred across the courts as players volley the tennis ball across the net.

— patricia dillon, Houston Chronicle, "Woodlands wheelchair tennis group supports positive growth," 27 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whir.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of whir

Middle English (Scots) quirren, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish hvirre to whirl, whir

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

whir Synonyms

Synonyms

bumble, burr, buzz, drone, hum, whish, whiz (or whizz), zip, zoom;

Related Words

chirr, churr;

thrum;

fizz, hiss, murmur, purr, rustle, sigh, sizzle, swish, whisper;

coo, curr;

wheeze, whistle, whoosh;

whir

noun

variants: or less commonly whirr

Definition of whir

: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion

the whir of machinery

See whir defined for English-language learners

Examples of whir in a Sentence

the whir of a fan
a whir coming from the refrigerator

Recent Examples of whir from the Web

The helicopter leaves from a base a few miles from our guesthouse and growls rather than whirs into action—a heavyweight military-style machine filled with our group of 15.

— sophy roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, "Exploring Kamchatka, Russia's Adventure Playground," 22 Mar. 2018
The whir of a vacuum cleaner punctures the silence.

— caren chesler, Popular Mechanics, "Burning Out: What Really Happens Inside a Crematorium," 1 Mar. 2018
Their lights blink, their little internal fans whir as banks, title companies and other Fiberpipe customers from Idaho and elsewhere send their data across the internet to the servers for safekeeping.

— david staats, idahostatesman, "Companies spend billions on data farms in other states. Not Idaho. Here’s why," 19 Feb. 2018
The only sound was the constant whir of cleaning crew blowers scattering the remnants of a happy season opener.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "Two big swings and relief help LSU baseball win season opener," 17 Feb. 2018
There’s almost no noise from the powertrain during electric-only operation, apart from a slight whir from the electric motors.

— Car and Driver, "2018 Chevrolet Volt," 1 Feb. 2018
The work began and ended in silence; one sequence was accompanied by electronic music that built from a quiet hum to an uncomfortably loud whir.

— alastair macaulay, New York Times, "Review: To Open Performance Space New York, ‘visions of beauty’," 11 Jan. 2018
Instead, visitors hear the monotonous whir of compressed air blowing through the silvery ducts that snake along the back wall.

— molly glentzer, Houston Chronicle, "Bloated, full of hot air: Sergio Prego's art mimics society," 10 Jan. 2018
The rumble of a backhoe digging into the building’s remains and the whir of helicopters overhead dominated.

— kirk semple, paulina villegas and elisabeth malkin, New York Times, "Mexico Earthquake Kills Hundreds, Trapping Many Under Rubble," 19 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of whir

1677

whir Synonyms

Synonyms

burr, buzz, chirr, churr, drone, hum, purr, thrum, whiz (or whizz), zoom;

Near Antonyms

bawl, howl, roar, scream, screech, shriek, squall, squeal, yelp, yell;

whish, zing, zip;

WHIR Defined for English Language Learners

whir

noun

Definition of whir for English Language Learners

: the sound made by something that is spinning very fast

WHIR Defined for Kids

whir

verb \ ˈhwər , ˈwər \

Definition of whir for Students

whirred; whirring

: to fly, operate, or turn rapidly with a buzzing sound

… the machines stopped whirring, and from then on, not a single chocolate … was made.
—Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

whir

noun

Definition of whir for Students

: a buzzing sound made by something spinning or operating quickly

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whir

Definition of whir

Examples of whir in a Sentence

Recent Examples of whir from the Web

Origin and Etymology of whir

whir Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

whir

Definition of whir

Examples of whir in a Sentence

Recent Examples of whir from the Web

First Known Use of whir

whir Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

WHIR Defined for English Language Learners

whir

Definition of whir for English Language Learners

WHIR Defined for Kids

whir

Definition of whir for Students

whir

Definition of whir for Students

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