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Synonyms

whoosh

American  
[hwoosh, hwoosh, woosh, woosh] / ʰwuʃ, ʰwʊʃ, wuʃ, wʊʃ /
Also woosh

noun

  1. a loud, rushing noise, as of air or water.

    a great whoosh as the door opened.

verb (used without object)

  1. to move swiftly with a gushing or hissing noise.

    gusts of wind whooshing through the trees.

verb (used with object)

  1. to move (an object, a person, etc.) with a whooshing motion or sound.

    The storm whooshed the waves over the road.
whoosh British  
/ wʊʃ /

noun

  1. a hissing or rushing sound

  2. a rush of emotion

    a whoosh of happiness
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (intr) to make or move with a hissing or rushing sound

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of whoosh

First recorded in 1840–50; imitative

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.

Her room whooshed across the background, cream and yellow, perfectly tidy except for the pile of clothes.

From Literature

The countdown hit one, and the air whooshed from my lungs as a sudden intense pressure encased my body.

From Literature

The pair were walking back home when McVay said she felt a pull and a “whoosh” from behind.

From Los Angeles Times

Duane was straining to hear above the whoosh of the toboggan sliding over the snow and ice.

From Literature

“We are not seeing a big whoosh in the economy. We are seeing a strengthening recovery. It’s a cyclical recovery that is eating away at spare capacity from a cyclical low point,” Conway said.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.