variants
or less commonly whirr
whirred; whirring
: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir
hummingbirds whirring past
: to move or carry rapidly with a whir
variants
or less commonly whirr
: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery
Synonyms
Examples of whir in a Sentence
Verb
the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower
our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road
Noun
the whir of a fan
a whir coming from the refrigerator
Recent Examples on the Web
Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 6 May 2024
Moments after receiving my lunch order, the robots whirred to life.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whir 
Verb
Residents gush praise for Modi The prayer ends, and boats whir back to the river bank.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 6 May 2024
Moments after receiving my lunch order, the robots whirred to life.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whir
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near whir
Cite this Entry
“Whir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whir. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whir
1 of 2 verb
variants
also whirr
ˈhwər 
ˈwər
whirred; whirring
: to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a buzzing sound
ceiling fans whirred overhead
whir
2 of 2 noun
variants
also whirr
: a fluttering or vibrating sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery
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