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

Rushing by in whooshes of chapters named after Pagnol’s numerous famous plays and films, Chomet conveys in textbook fashion that this is a life worthy of memoir, and worthy of the pleasant story device of little Marcel guiding big Marcel. —Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 20 May 2025

Sixty minutes from busy freeways to lush fairways, from the whoosh of traffic to whispering surf A southern California vacation can be a whirlwind affair, what with the encircling ring of still-life highways clogged by road-ragers at any and all hours of the day. —David Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Verb

Again the group drilled and inserted a pump, and water began whooshing out. —Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 May 2025

This might be the most 1990s song to ever exist in the best possible way — a perfectly airy mix of programmed drums, keyboards, whooshing ocean sounds, and crooning backup singers. —Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for whoosh

• douche
• touche
• barouche
• cartouche

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