whimsical

adjective

whim·​si·​cal ˈ(h)wim-zi-kəl How to pronounce whimsical (audio)
1
a
: resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice
especially : lightly fanciful
whimsical decorations
b
: subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change
2
: full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims
whimsicality noun
whimsically adverb
whimsicalness noun

Did you know?

Trace Whimsical Back to the 16th Century

Even the origin of whimsical is whimsical: its ultimate source (by way of the noun whimsy) is the now-obscure whim-wham, a noun from the early 16th century that first referred to an ornamental object or trinket, and later to an eccentric impulse or interest—that is, to what in modern terms can be called a whim. The origin of whim-wham isn’t clear, but it’s among a class of words known as reduplications, words that are formed by repeating a word, as in go-go, or by adding to a word one that sounds very similar to it, as in dillydally. (In the case of whim-wham, the original duplicated term has been lost to time.) While whimsical first described those who tend toward whimsy, it now commonly describes things that are unusual in a playful or amusing way, as in “charmed by the book’s whimsical illustrations.”

Examples of whimsical in a Sentence

You can practically taste the tropics in these whimsical doughnuts. Ripe bananas, toasted coconut and your favorite rum transform traditional doughnuts into paradisiacal ones. Janice Wald Henderson, Chocolatier, March 2001
Unlike the broad slapstick humor of Musical Mose and other early Herriman strips, Krazy Kat was gentle, fey, and whimsical. Jeet Heer, Lingua Franca, September 2001
In the whimsical linguistics of theoretical physics, the "naked" electron is an imaginary object cut off from the influences of the field, whereas a "dressed" electron carries the imprint of the universe, but it is all buried in extremely tiny modifications to its bare properties. Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
She has a whimsical sense of humor. it's hard to make plans with such a whimsical best friend
Recent Examples on the Web Take a cue from this pattern to extend the color scheme and elegant feel to even the most simple and whimsical décor—Easter eggs. 14 of 20 Try: Gold Leaf Easter Eggs This Easter, go for the gold—literally. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024 Whether your feeling whimsical or your ready to rock, there's a show announcement for you today. Monica Hooper, arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2024 The basc Quartet—perhaps spurred on by the gaze of so many look-alike eyes—found the through line of Schoenberg’s personality, which is by turns impassioned, whimsical, savage, and melancholy. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Set in the whimsical land of Illyria, the play follows the adventures of Viola, who, disguised as a man, finds herself at the heart of a hilarious series of misunderstandings and mishaps. David Catlin, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Often that overshadows the sillier, more whimsical elements of Holiday’s plotting. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Afterward, Sagan founded a whimsical scientific fraternal organization, the Order of the Dolphin, that was partially inspired by Lilly’s work. Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 28 Feb. 2024 Small whimsical cottages are hidden in the tree trunks and branches – a surprisingly sweet sight in an otherwise normal-looking forest. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2024 Despite its differences, the new series has plenty of nods to the original one — from the whimsical theme song and adorable Sun Babies to the catchphrases the characters say. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whimsical.' 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

whimsy

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of whimsical was in 1653

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Dictionary Entries Near whimsical

Cite this Entry

“Whimsical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whimsical. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whimsical

adjective
whim·​si·​cal ˈhwim-zi-kəl How to pronounce whimsical (audio)
ˈwim-
1
: full of whims : capricious
a whimsical person always going off somewhere
2
: resulting from or marked by whim : erratic
whimsical behavior
whimsicality noun
whimsically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on whimsical

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