whimsy

noun

whim·​sy ˈ(h)wim-zē 

variants or less commonly whimsey

plural whimsies also whimseys

1

: whim, caprice

2

: the quality or state of being whimsical or fanciful

the designer's new line showed a touch of whimsy

3

: a fanciful or fantastic device, object, or creation especially in writing or art

Synonyms of whimsy

• whim
• humor
• caprice

Examples of whimsy in a Sentence

The designer's new line showed a touch of whimsy.

a bit of decorative whimsy

Recent Examples on the Web

The ride is designed in the look of animator turned theme park artist Mary Blair, reflective of her color clashes and childlike whimsy. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Rachel Cannon, the founder of Rachel Cannon Limited in Baton Rouge, hung a beaded chandelier in this laundry room, and the fixture adds plenty of whimsy, particularly when paired with vibrant wallpaper. —Lindsey Mather, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026

Daisies and sparkles add additional whimsy. —Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026

Alongside its serious objectives, like testing the Orion capsule in deep space and imaging lava flows on the lunar surface, NASA's Artemis 2 lunar mission has its whimsy, too. —Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

irregular from whim-wham

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

whimsy

noun

whim·​sy

variants also whimsey

ˈhwim-zē 

ˈwim-

plural whimsies also whimseys

1

: whim, caprice

2

: the quality or state of being whimsical or fanciful

the designer's new line of swimwear showed a touch of whimsy

3

: an imaginative or fantastic object or creation especially in a piece of writing or art