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.”
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 2001Unlike the broad slapstick humor of Musical Mose and other early Herriman strips, Krazy Kat was gentle, fey, and whimsical.—Jeet Heer, Lingua Franca, September 2001In 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
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Punctuated by stripes and slim, knobby legs, this whimsical seating looks like something Tim Burton would dream up for your next happy hour.—Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 28 May 2025 Matty’s Easter egg blue Lafayette 148 blazer and whimsical paw-print shirt by MNG act as a double agent, and her Clarks flats both enhance a deceptive shuffle and allow for covert, nimble movement.—Fawnia Soo Hoo, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025 Trainor played her whimsical older brother (who’s also her guardian), Spencer.—Victoria Edel, People.com, 27 May 2025 The ensemble carried a whimsical and feminine effect with contemporary design and detailing.—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for whimsical
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