as in notions
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whims
Even the richest emperors of the past did not have the ability to satisfy their whims that is now possessed by any student in Chicago or Berlin or Kinshasa.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
Existing grants, meanwhile, can be terminated at the whims of the administration.
—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
27 June 2026
The butler service goes above and beyond, catering to your whims including in-room dining (available 24 hours a day for butler suite guests) dropping off bug spray to the room, organizing your clothes into the closet upon arrival, and will even pick you up for dinner in style.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 June 2026
Britain has experienced major blows to investment and productivity, a historic surge in annual net migration, and—shorn of the diplomatic heft of a united Europe and subject to the whims of a bullying Trump—a geopolitical humbling.
—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
25 June 2026
By their very nature, pop-ups are fluid and subject to the whims of weather.
—
Sam Flemming,
AJC.com,
24 June 2026
But the ocean rarely stays on script and nature often does not like to listen to human whims.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Mubi could use the positive PR that would come with saving a movie from a darling director after it has been cast aside at the whims of tech oligarchs.
—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2026
Her whims are that of anyone her age, but her life is not.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
23 June 2026
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
Existing grants, meanwhile, can be terminated at the whims of the administration.
—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
27 June 2026
The butler service goes above and beyond, catering to your whims including in-room dining (available 24 hours a day for butler suite guests) dropping off bug spray to the room, organizing your clothes into the closet upon arrival, and will even pick you up for dinner in style.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 June 2026
Britain has experienced major blows to investment and productivity, a historic surge in annual net migration, and—shorn of the diplomatic heft of a united Europe and subject to the whims of a bullying Trump—a geopolitical humbling.
—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
25 June 2026
By their very nature, pop-ups are fluid and subject to the whims of weather.
—
Sam Flemming,
AJC.com,
24 June 2026
But the ocean rarely stays on script and nature often does not like to listen to human whims.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Mubi could use the positive PR that would come with saving a movie from a darling director after it has been cast aside at the whims of tech oligarchs.
—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2026
Her whims are that of anyone her age, but her life is not.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whims
Noun
-
Blind tasting removes preconceived notions about the brand, winemaker, or even label design, narrowing the focus to wine quality and nothing else.
-
In the doing, her film expands to accommodate notions of class, solidarity and privilege – in what is now a timeless snapshot of a rapidly evolving society.
Noun
-
One needed Mother Nature to bestow upon brewers the right temperatures for making beer, and in the days before refrigeration and even thermometers, that meant that brewing was largely dictated by the caprices of the seasons.
-
Today, every country’s economy is tied to others, but a small nation that’s as historically dependent on trade as Denmark seems particularly vulnerable to Trump’s caprices.
Noun
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Wealth buys choice, leverage, and a cushion for the vagaries of a market economy.
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This is especially true for small businesses, which are particularly vulnerable to the vagaries of California’s most hostile business environment in the nation.
Noun
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For this dourest of doubters, Musk’s claims for the feats ahead can only happen in the SpaceX founder’s head, or in the sci-fi fantasies Eisman grew up on.
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Circe and Calypso, for instance, are fantasies of pleasure and captivity, projections of men’s fear of losing control; Odysseus’ abandonment of them is part of his return to command.
Noun
-
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Stephanie also has a story on the whimsies created by chocolate artist Chris Ford at his West Hollywood pop-up shop.
-
In The Girlfriend, the truth is malleable, open to change based on our biases, judgments, whimsies, and desires.
Cite this Entry
“Whims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whims. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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