whoosh

1 of 2

noun

ˈ(h)wüsh  ˈ(h)wu̇sh 

: a swift or explosive rush

also : the sound created by such a rush

—often used interjectionally

whoosh

2 of 2

verb

whooshed; whooshing; whooshes

intransitive verb

: to rush past or move explosively

cars whooshing along the expressway

transitive verb

: to move (a person or thing) with or as if with a whoosh

Examples of whoosh in a Sentence

Verb

Cars whooshed along the highway.

Water whooshed down the pipe.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Landry Jones carries the film with a watchful caution not dissimilar to seeing history whoosh past his eyes. —Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2024

There are also holy grails in the world of effects pedals — the devices that can radically change the sound of any guitar rig by adding echoes, howls, snarls, whooshes and whirls with a stomp of the foot. —Stephen Busemeyer, Hartford Courant, 30 July 2024

Verb

There aren’t any cruise ships in the distance and no loud jet skis whooshing by your window. —Demarco Williams, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024

Riding my bike as a kid, my bowl cut whooshed in the hot Tennessee air. —Raleigh McCool, Longreads, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

whoosh

1 of 2 noun

ˈhwüsh  ˈwüsh 

ˈhwu̇sh,

wu̇sh

: a swift or explosive rush

also : the sound created by such a rush

whoosh

2 of 2 verb

: to pass or move along with a whoosh

cars whooshing along the highway