whoosh

noun \ ˈhwüsh , ˈwüsh , ˈ(h)wu̇sh \

Definition of whoosh

:a swift or explosive rush; also :the sound created by such a rush —often used interjectionally

See whoosh defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of whoosh from the Web

A breathy whoosh every now and then, and frequent conversations and ad libs were further proof that Gaga was singing every freakin' note.

— chuck yarborough, cleveland.com, "Lady Gaga thrills a packed Quicken Loans Arena (concert review)," 24 Aug. 2017
Plus, nothing kills the vibe on a beautiful, lazy summer afternoon—birds a-chirping, ice cream truck a-jingling, bottles a-clinking—quite like the whoosh of canned whipped cream.

— carey polis, Bon Appetit, "Homemade Whipped Cream + Berries = Summer's Best (and Easiest) Dessert," 8 Aug. 2017
A mirrored wall whooshes open Star Trek-style to reveal the elevators to the executive suites occupying the upper floors.

— edward robinson, Bloomberg.com, "Can John Cryan Save Deutsche Bank From Itself?," 25 July 2017
Lots of neat chirps and whooshes can be heard from the big snail under the hood, and the trick three-outlet exhaust keeps droning and booming sounds to a minimum, even though short final gearing has the engine turning 3500 rpm at 75 mph in top gear.

— mike sutton, Car and Driver, "2017 Honda Civic Type R," 8 July 2017
That means everything from recent supercars to 100-year-old competition machines blats, whizzes, whooshes, and squeals its way to the top of the hill to the delight of car enthusiasts.

— alexander stoklosa, Car and Driver, "2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed Hill-Climb in Photos!," 5 July 2017
Next, the fore sail unfurled with a quick whoosh of rope.

— ian duncan, baltimoresun.com, "Guest crew get to experience life of 19th century sailor aboard Pride of Baltimore," 1 July 2017
It was synced to music that also seemed monochrome at first — hisses, whooshes, buzzes, clicks — but became a world of its own.

— jon pareles, New York Times, "Sónar 2017: 15 of the Best Sets From the Barcelona Music Festival," 18 June 2017
On a bright June morning, dozens of honeybees gently hovered around their gable-roofed hives, the buzzing a low drone often drowned out by the whoosh of passing cars.

— genevieve bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, "Evanston Ecology Center welcomes 40,000 honeybees," 12 June 2017

These 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.