\ ˈ(h)wüsh 
, ˈ(h)wu̇sh \
, ˈ(h)wu̇sh \Definition of whoosh
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a swift or explosive rush also : the sound created by such a rush —often used interjectionally
whoosh
verbwhooshed; whooshing; whooshes
Definition of whoosh (Entry 2 of 2)
: to rush past or move explosively
cars whooshing along the expressway
: 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 Like levees breaking in my limbs, blood rushed to my stomach in a whoosh.
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Marina Gomberg, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Marina Gomberg fights panic… and wins," 14 Aug. 2020 Ongais rushes us out of the right onto the pit straight with a fierce, neck-tugging whoosh.
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Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, "Turbo Car vs. Turbo Bike: 1978 Porsche 930 Turbo vs. Kawasaki Z1-R TC," 10 June 2020 The whoosh of the arrow is followed by a loud crack.
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Natalie Krebs, Field & Stream, "What Happens When a Hit Deer Vanishes?," 29 May 2020 The whoosh from a passing truck cascades over your face.
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Alex Horton, Washington Post, "You can rent mopeds in D.C. now. We hopped on one to see how fast they go.," 20 Aug. 2019 Millions of Arizonans are hearing the familiar whoosh of cool air from their air conditioning vents, signaling the arrival of summer and higher power bills as temperatures move into the triple digits.
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Ryan Randazzo, azcentral, "As temperatures hit century mark, will rising residential energy demand strain Arizona's power grid?," 25 Apr. 2020 Only the hopeful whooshes of ventilators sound off in the negative-pressure rooms.
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Kinfay Moroti, USA Today, "‘Afraid and overwhelmed’: A look inside one hospital on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic," 10 Apr. 2020 Inside, however, a powerful fan pushes air through a series of vents to create a steady, calming whoosh of moving air without creating a draft like a typical fan.
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Tony Vaz, Popular Science, "White noise machines that may help you fall asleep faster," 9 Sep. 2019 Sitting inside her family’s tent, its sides rippling against whooshes of hot, sandy wind, Fatemeh thinks back to her own brief childhood in Badghis, wading through golden fields of wheat up to her knees.
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National Geographic, "In Afghanistan, climate change complicates future prospects for peace," 3 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Tuesday was the morning Hoosiers were supposed to arrive at work to the distant hum of Indy cars whooshing around the iconic oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Is it May yet? No. But it's on the way.," 12 May 2020 And then there was the sound: the soft grainy whoosh whoosh whoosh of the beating heart.
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Robin Amer, USA Today, "I was panicking over coronavirus. Then I heard my baby’s heartbeat.," 22 Apr. 2020 This time, thanks to a pandemic, the water has whooshed away at record speed.
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The Economist, "Who’s lost their trunks? The economic crisis will expose a decade’s worth of swindling and aggressive accounting," 18 Apr. 2020 The flood washed away a land bridge near current-day Gibraltar, letting the Atlantic’s waters whoosh in.
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Michael George, National Geographic, "THE BEST OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX," 10 Mar. 2020 The lights were flickering all around Syd, and something whooshed by her.
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Martha Sorren, refinery29.com, "Let’s Talk About The Mystery Man On I Am Not Okay With This," 2 Mar. 2020 But there was nothing the officer could do for Cristina Hernandez, a Virginia office administrator who glides along the four-mile loop along the Potomac River on inline skates, whooshing away a stressful workweek.
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Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, "No tanks, Trump. Real Washingtonians aren’t interested in your party.," 1 July 2019 Running on the treadmill was a slow-motion battle; on jump squats, her body whooshed upward as her shorts ballooned with water.
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Christina Binkley, The New Yorker, "Nike Takes the Plunge Into Modest Swimwear," 9 Dec. 2019 These rosy renderings of effortless whooshing hither and yon distract us from what the problem demands: a way forward that prioritizes not thoughtless speed but calibrated efficiency.
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Wired, "Speed Is Killing the Planet. Time to Focus on Efficiency," 24 Sep. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whoosh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for whoosh
whoosh
noun English Language Learners Definition of whoosh
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the sound made by something that is moving quickly
: a small amount of gas, liquid, etc., that comes from a place quickly
whoosh
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of whoosh (Entry 2 of 2)
: to move very quickly with the sound of quickly flowing air or water
See the full definition for whoosh in the English Language Learners Dictionary
whoosh
verb\ ˈhwüsh , ˈwüsh, ˈhwu̇sh, ˈwu̇sh \
, ˈwüsh, ˈhwu̇sh, ˈwu̇sh \whooshed; whooshing
Kids Definition of whoosh
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to pass or move along with a sound like that of something moving quickly
whoosh
noun plural whooshes
Kids Definition of whoosh (Entry 2 of 2)
: the sound created by something moving quickly
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Time Traveler for whoosh
The first known use of whoosh was in 1856
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