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

The show capped off a whirlwind few days for the designer, who debuted Dior’s latest menswear collection in Paris before traveling to New York to oversee the finishing touches on Swift and Kelce’s custom wedding looks. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

Messick debuted in August, and his last 11 months have been a bit of a surprise, a bit of a whirlwind, and not at all by accident. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Adjective

For all the breathless coverage devoted to celebrity engagements, weddings, and whirlwind divorces, some of Hollywood’s most enduring love stories involve couples who never bothered with the paperwork. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

The Cubs kept the game plan fairly simple for Peterson in his debut following a whirlwind couple of days after learning he had been traded Wednesday evening. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

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
• downwind
• rescind
• upwind
• woodwind
• finned
• ginned
• grinned
• pinned
• sinned
• skinned
• thinned

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