: a swift or explosive rush
also : the sound created by such a rush
often used interjectionally

whoosh

2 of 2

verb

whooshed; whooshing; whooshes

intransitive verb

: to rush past or move explosively
cars whooshing along the expressway

transitive verb

: to move (a person or thing) with or as if with a whoosh

Examples of whoosh in a Sentence

Verb Cars whooshed along the highway. Water whooshed down the pipe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Residents heard the whoosh and watched as a missile slammed into the bottom of the multistory building, which then sank to the ground, a huge plume of gray smoke rising and debris flying after the strike. Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024 Landry Jones carries the film with a watchful caution not dissimilar to seeing history whoosh past his eyes. Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2024
Verb
But there is no better symbol of Copenhagen than the bicyclists perpetually whooshing through its streets, forcing you to leap out of the way. Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Oct. 2024 It’s been four years since the water whooshed away. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for whoosh 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whoosh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of whoosh was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near whoosh

Cite this Entry

“Whoosh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whoosh. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

whoosh

1 of 2 noun
ˈhwüsh How to pronounce whoosh (audio) ˈwüsh How to pronounce whoosh (audio)
ˈhwu̇sh,
wu̇sh
: a swift or explosive rush
also : the sound created by such a rush

whoosh

2 of 2 verb
: to pass or move along with a whoosh
cars whooshing along the highway

More from Merriam-Webster on whoosh

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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