whirlwind

1 of 2

noun

whirl·​wind ˈ(h)wər(-ə)l-ˌwind 

1

: a small rotating windstorm of limited extent

2

a

: a confused rush : whirl

a whirlwind of meetings

b

: a violent or destructive force or agency

whirlwind

2 of 2

adjective

: resembling a whirlwind especially in speed or force

a whirlwind campaign

a whirlwind romance

Synonyms of whirlwind

Adjective

• rapid
• brisk
• quick
• fast
• galloping

Examples of whirlwind in a Sentence

Noun

My life has been a whirlwind lately.

He attended a whirlwind of meetings.

Adjective

The band went on a whirlwind concert tour.

They were married after a whirlwind romance.

We continued on at a whirlwind pace.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After easily the most whirlwind-like year of his life, Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark has finally settled down. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Dec. 2025

Now the lifting dust begins to swirl into a little whirlwind, leaves the road and heads across a grassy lot before unwinding in the air. —David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Adjective

After a pair of EP releases over two whirlwind years, Gossett released Westward this past July. —Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2025

Blake Lively closed out her whirlwind year with a rare photo of her family holiday festivities at home. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1727, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whirlwind

• chagrined
• crosswind
• downwind
• rescind
• upwind
• woodwind
• finned
• ginned
• grinned
• pinned
• sinned
• skinned

Kids Definition

whirlwind

1 of 2 noun

whirl·​wind -ˌwind 

: a small windstorm of rapidly rotating air

whirlwind

2 of 2 adjective

: resembling a whirlwind especially in speed or force

a whirlwind campaign

a whirlwind romance