whimsy

noun

ˈ(h)wim-zē How to pronounce whimsy (audio)
variants also whimsey
Definition of whimsynext
as in whim
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action the pop singer's latest whimsy is that she has acting talent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 whimsy And for pajama separates, something delicate but artistic like these charm necklaces from Agatha Paris adds a touch of whimsy. — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 And once the practical boxes are checked, that’s when the whimsy comes in. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026 While an option like the orange-and-white stripe accentuates the sofa’s inherent whimsy, it’d be easy to achieve a more serious look with one of the solid-colored upholstery options. — Alyssa Marino Williams, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2026 Jung recommends the whimsy of House of Hackney’s repeats, while French looks to prints from Pierre Frey, Sister Parish, and Soane Britain. — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whimsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whimsy
  1. whim
  2. humor
  3. caprice
Noun
  • But an outdoor garden, no matter how beautiful and lovingly designed or how innovatively used in the menu, is susceptible to the whims of Miami’s humid, rainy, extraordinarily lengthy summers.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • And these people are at the whim of whatever ICE wants to do with them.
    — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of whim
Noun
  • But it was filled with quicksilver, roller-coaster displays of virtuosity and the sly humor Lutoslawski and fellow Polish composer and pianist Andrzej Panufnik brought to their Paganini variations in its original 1941 iteration.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Follow rebellious 16-year-old Holden Caufield to New York City in Catcher in the Rye, in a tale that will evoke both humor and empathy from readers in equal measure.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • However, the success of these provisions will depend on the caprice of local politics.
    — Christopher Calton, Oc Register, 29 June 2026
  • But statistics fail to convey the humanity of yard sales—the caprice, whimsy, and high spirits, as well as the cunning, weirdness, and heartbreak, that charge and thicken the air when two people agree to perform an off-the-books monetary transaction.
    — Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Definition of caprice

Browse Nearby Words

whimsies
whimsy
whim-whams
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Cite this Entry

“Whimsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whimsy. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on whimsy

Nglish: Translation of whimsy for Spanish Speakers

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