whirl

1 a rapid turning about on an axis or central point the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy Synonyms gyration, pirouette, reel, revolution, roll, rotation, twirl, wheel, spinRelated Words circuit, circulation, ring, round; coil, curl, curve, spiral, twist, whorl; circle, orbit; eddy, swirl

2 a state of mental uncertainty so many changes at once had her all in a whirl Synonyms bafflement, bamboozlement, befuddlement, bemusement, bewilderedness, bewilderment, confusedness, discombobulation, distraction, fog, head-scratching, maze [chiefly dialect], muddle, mystification, perplexity, puzzlement, tangle, confusionRelated Words abashment, discomfiture, disconcertment, embarrassment, mortification; agitation, chagrin, discomfort, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturbance, perturbation, upset; bother, commotion, dither, flurry, fluster, fuss, stew, turmoilNear Antonyms assurance, certainty, certitude, confidence, conviction, positiveness, sureness

3 a state of noisy, confused activity lost an earring in the whirl of the party Synonyms ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter [chiefly dialect], coil, corroboree [Australian], disturbance, do [chiefly dialect], foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha (also hoo-hah), hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry (or hurry-skurry), kerfuffle [chiefly British], moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore [Scottish], squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, commotion, williwaw, zooRelated Words cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar; disorder, unrest, upheaval; eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst; brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee (also mêlée), scuffle; dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzyNear Antonyms calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquillity (or tranquility); order, orderliness

4 an effort to do or accomplish something I'm pretty good at fixing things, so how about if I give it a whirl? Synonyms assay [archaic], bash [chiefly British], bid, crack, endeavor, essay, fling, go, offer, pass, shot, stab, trial, try, whack, attemptRelated Words striving, struggle, throes, undertaking; trial and error

1 to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly whirled the chocolate syrup into the milk with a spoon Synonyms agitate, churn, swirl, wash, stirRelated Words beat, paddle, whip, whisk; reel, shake, wheel

2 to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis the figure skater whirled his partner with effortless grace Synonyms pivot, revolve, roll, rotate, spin, swing, swirl, swivel, twirl, twist, wheel, turnRelated Words screw, unscrew; twiddle; coil, crank, reel, wind; circulate

3 to move in circles around an axis or center the gambler held his breath as the roulette wheel whirled Synonyms gyrate, pinwheel, pirouette, revolve, roll, rotate, turn, twirl, wheel, spinRelated Words coil, curl, curve, round, spiral, swirl, twine, twist, wind; circle, circulate, encircle, orbit, ring; pivot, swivel

4 to proceed or move quickly cars whirling by on the highway Synonyms barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb [slang], bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, hurry, whisk, zip, zoomRelated Words beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle; stampede, streak, whiz (or whizz); gallop, jog, sprint; accelerate, quicken, step out; catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake; arrow, beelineNear Antonyms dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)Antonyms crawl, creep, poke

5 to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around my mind whirled from all of the excitement Synonyms reel, swim, turn, spinRelated Words swirlNear Antonyms calm, collect; settle, steady