plural whales
often attributive
1
or plural whale
: any of various very large, aquatic, marine mammals (order Cetacea) that have a torpedo-shaped body with a thick layer of blubber, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, a horizontally flattened tail, and nostrils that open externally at the top of the head
also
: cetacean see baleen whale, toothed whale
2
: one that is impressive especially in size
a whale of a difference
a whale of a good time
whaled; whaling
Examples of whale in a Sentence
Noun
a whale of a pickup truck
Verb (2)
whaled the ball so hard that it sailed over the fence and into the neighbor's yard
whaled the rug with a broom to knock the dirt out of it
mercilessly whaled the pickpocket for stealing from her purse
Recent Examples on the Web
John Ramos, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Naples Island, a short 15-minute drive away, offers opportunities for year-round whale watching or a romantic gondola ride with Gondola Getaways, the oldest and largest fleet of gondolas in the Americas, established in 1982.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 June 2026
The filmmakers did their homework to make the hungry whale — the largest toothed predator, with the rare (and largely theoretical) power to kill by sound — look and sound as realistic as possible.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 9 June 2026
Unfortunately, cameras weren’t running during RuPaul’s whale noise symphony.
—Matthew Huff, IndieWire, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for whale
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.
Noun
And crowds would arrive to watch for whales in summer or brave the crashing spray of the huge waves in winter.
—John Ramos, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Naples Island, a short 15-minute drive away, offers opportunities for year-round whale watching or a romantic gondola ride with Gondola Getaways, the oldest and largest fleet of gondolas in the Americas, established in 1982.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 June 2026
The filmmakers did their homework to make the hungry whale — the largest toothed predator, with the rare (and largely theoretical) power to kill by sound — look and sound as realistic as possible.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 9 June 2026
Unfortunately, cameras weren’t running during RuPaul’s whale noise symphony.
—Matthew Huff, IndieWire, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for whale
Cite this Entry
“Whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whale. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whale
1 of 3 noun
ˈhwā(ə)l 
ˈwā(ə)l
plural whales or whale
1
: a water-dwelling mammal (as a humpback whale or a killer whale) that is a cetacean of usually very large size with a torpedo-shaped body, front limbs modified into flippers but no hind limbs, and a tail flattened and extended to the sides as flukes and that usually breathes through an opening on top of the head compare baleen whale, toothed whale
2
: something large enough to catch attention
it made a whale of a difference
whale
2 of 3 verb
whaled; whaling
: to hunt whales
Etymology
Noun
Old English hwæl "whale"
Verb
origin unknown
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
