1
: a capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind : fancy
quit his job on a whim
2
: a large capstan that is made with one or more radiating arms to which a horse may be yoked and that is used in mines for raising ore or water
Examples of whim in a Sentence
It's hard to predict voters' whims.
on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream
Recent Examples on the Web
TiVo and DVRs helped even more, but you were still limited by the scheduling whims of networks and hard-drive space.
—
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Will there be repercussions for organizations that defy Trump’s whims?
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Our daughters’ rights and privacy should not be subject to ideological whims.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Merz’s crusade to remove the debt brake was not motivated by personal whim.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Will there be repercussions for organizations that defy Trump’s whims?
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Our daughters’ rights and privacy should not be subject to ideological whims.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Merz’s crusade to remove the debt brake was not motivated by personal whim.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whim
Cite this Entry
“Whim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whim. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whim
noun
ˈhwim 
ˈwim
: an odd or sudden wish, desire, or change of mind
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share