noun
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a sudden, passing, and often fanciful idea; impulsive or irrational thought
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a horse-drawn winch formerly used in mining to lift ore or water
Etymology
Origin of whim
First recorded in 1635–45; short for whim-wham
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Isolated from friends and family, Doe was “essentially at Mr. Glover’s whims” upon moving to Los Angeles, according to the lawsuit.
From Los Angeles Times
He intended on popping in to say goodbye to C.C., who had been very helpful, but instead, on a whim, he had one last rummage.
From Literature
This was my destiny—to spin gold at the whims of a greedy king for the rest of my life.
From Literature
But as the stock market seemed to be telling us Monday, even a whim of iron can be very, very costly.
From Los Angeles Times
On a whim, I reach for the keyboard again and type “Bermuda” and “spearfishing” into the search engine.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
