whims

noun

plural of whim
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

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 whims While mega oil and gas companies pay for some of the greatest intelligence in the world, even the world's greatest intelligence gatherers are subject to the whims of rogues with missile launchers. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 From here on out, the authorship of Tae-ju’s life is ambiguous, as well as constantly in flux, buffeted by the whims and suggestions of others, as well as by her own impulses. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 But elevating the whims of progressive activists and government bureaucrats above the wisdom of the marketplace has proven a costly mistake and undermined consumer choice. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026 All of this makes the recent terminations tricky for OpenAI and shows that safety disclosures are still very much at the whims of the labs. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 This is hardly new, and scream queens, in particular, are often left to the whims of the internet. — Mariam Bagdady, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026 And where they, too, are terrified by the whims of those above them. — Mark Lilla, The New York Review of Books, 29 Sep. 2026 There are many reasons the United States needs clear, stable regulations on artificial intelligence, rather than relying on the whims of a leader. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026 Behold the plight of the Ryan Murphy character, cursed to behave nonsensically and flit wildly from plotline to plotline based on the writer’s whims. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whims
  1. notions
  2. caprices
  3. vagaries
  4. fantasies
  5. whimsies
Noun
  • The notions of a coaching tree and writing being open to everyone are in answer to Terrell’s own experience growing up in Kansas City as an aspiring writer.
    — Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Western traditions of symmetry and notions of linear time are upended.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of notions
Noun
  • Ye-ji has a hunky hedge-fund-type husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung), who condescendingly tolerates, but doesn’t finance, his wife’s cinematic caprices.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But Gurdon doesn’t hold up the caprices and improvisations of her childhood as either a model or a cautionary tale.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of caprices
Noun
  • Rather than relying on the vagaries of the three ball, the Hawks kept driving inside for layups and dunks and ended up outscoring Charlotte 54-34 in the paint.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But finding one’s nerve means fighting the everyday vagaries of low self-esteem, depression, self-deception, insecurity, loss, never-ending grief, and narcissists.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of vagaries
Noun
  • Though Klum sat in the makeup chair for nine hours to fulfill her reptilian fantasies, the highlight of her costume were the mechanical snakes on her head.
    — Lynsey Eidell, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In this particular love club, some fantasies really do come true.
    — Megan O’Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fantasies
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.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
  • In The Girlfriend, the truth is malleable, open to change based on our biases, judgments, whimsies, and desires.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of whimsies

Browse Nearby Words

whimpers
whims
whimsical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whims. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All