whir

1 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly whirr
whirred; whirring

intransitive verb

: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir
hummingbirds whirring past

transitive verb

: to move or carry rapidly with a whir

whir

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly whirr
: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery

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
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.
Verb
Pots are steaming, whisks are whirring and the air is thick with sugar. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024 In the mid-60s, this whirring mechanical device the size of an entire room was an object of profound mystery to the average American. Tacita Quinn, CNN, 29 Sep. 2024
Noun
The faint whir of a vacuum comes from somewhere nearby. Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024 In 2020 and 2021, millions around the world sought freedom and security from the constant whir of the central bank printing press by unbanking themselves. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for whir 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English (Scots) quirren, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish hvirre to whirl, whir

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whir was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near whir

Cite this Entry

“Whir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whir. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

whir

1 of 2 verb
variants also whirr
ˈhwər How to pronounce whir (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on whir

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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