as in notion
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whim
Join 126 others in the comments View Comments In other words, the Fed is a buffer against the worst effects of Trump’s economic whims.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
Four separate modules—one each for living, sleep/study, energy generation, and outdoor dining—can be reconfigured in numerous ways to suit the owner’s needs or whims.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2025
The citizen, once sovereign, becomes a subject, their earnings siphoned not for their own good but for the whims of those in power.
—Jon Fleischman, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2025
TiVo and DVRs helped even more, but you were still limited by the scheduling whims of networks and hard-drive space.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
Four separate modules—one each for living, sleep/study, energy generation, and outdoor dining—can be reconfigured in numerous ways to suit the owner’s needs or whims.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2025
The citizen, once sovereign, becomes a subject, their earnings siphoned not for their own good but for the whims of those in power.
—Jon Fleischman, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2025
TiVo and DVRs helped even more, but you were still limited by the scheduling whims of networks and hard-drive space.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whim
Noun
-
The notion of an international order based on rules, norms, and broadly shared values has deep roots.—
Margaret MacMillan,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Recognizing this, Calm, the leading mental health platform, has launched Not Calm Moms, a bold new initiative reframing maternal mental health around the community, not unattainable notions of serenity.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
An e-mail publication was invulnerable to the caprices of social-media platforms and their algorithms.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2025
-
But Cass is not the man to beat his head in bitterness over female caprice.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The increasing prevalence and potential for invasion of privacy (of our thoughts, no less) has prompted lawmakers in some jurisdictions to take action.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Vape shops have spread across the American retail landscape with a bizarre swiftness, seemingly unbeholden to the same vagaries of inflation, customer demand, and local real estate that bind every other kind of storefront small business in the country.—
Amanda Mull,
The Atlantic,
22 June 2023
-
Third, repeaters should prove capable of swapping this data between nodes in a network in a predictable way and not one too subject to the vagaries of chance.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
13 June 2023
Noun
-
Notes on Riley Quick, Henry Ford, as well as some top names for 2026 Concerning fantasy baseball 2025 performances from Roki Sasaki, Cody Bellinger and more Zack Meisel is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Plus, that veil of fantasy keeps things from getting too serious.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The scalloped edges on this rattan design add a touch of whimsy to your space.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Also worth noting: Rose added a toilet and a small cloakroom basin by Thomas Crapper & Co. to add a bit of whimsy to the washroom.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
And if none of these suit your fancy, here are 14 more fantastic places to travel to find peace and relaxation.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Apr. 2025
-
For Eli Roth in spring, however, his fancies tend to turn darker, more menacingly humorous, and toward the more bloodily outrageous.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whim. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share