as in notion
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of whim
To avoid overspending, keep your long-term comfort higher in your thoughts than any short-term whims.
—
Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Ostensibly an effort to recenter the female perspective in some of the most famous tales from the Book of Genesis, the three-part event miniseries instead treats its characters like paper dolls to be pushed around at the whims of a narrative set in stone millennia ago.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 Mar. 2026
Bad weather the past two weekends hasn't helped the situation as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled, and passengers were at the whim of changing flight schedules.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
There are precious few roads, and nothing is impervious to the whims of weather.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whim
Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Ostensibly an effort to recenter the female perspective in some of the most famous tales from the Book of Genesis, the three-part event miniseries instead treats its characters like paper dolls to be pushed around at the whims of a narrative set in stone millennia ago.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 Mar. 2026
Bad weather the past two weekends hasn't helped the situation as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled, and passengers were at the whim of changing flight schedules.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
There are precious few roads, and nothing is impervious to the whims of weather.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whim
Noun
-
The notion of compliance as an interconnected system aligns with broader trends in risk management.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In the immediate aftermath of the tornadoes, Whitmer's office asked for an investigation into why the National Weather Service hadn't issued a tornado watch ahead of the storms, hinting at the notion that federal budget cutbacks at the National Weather Service may have had an impact.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One needed Mother Nature to bestow upon brewers the right temperatures for making beer, and in the days before refrigeration and even thermometers, that meant that brewing was largely dictated by the caprices of the seasons.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Order the waterzooi — the house specialty seafood stew — the duck confit, the crepe caprice, or the escargot petit gris served in a Roquefort cream sauce.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The brain bug's intrinsic ick factor is undeniably high, but using their proboscises to suck thoughts directly from the brains of their unfortunate victims is a pretty neat party trick.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Peet did also have thoughts on how to expand upon her character’s growth and the nature of her burgeoning relationship with Sam.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There were plenty of ordinary and dismissive explanations for what had happened, all related to the vagaries of the brain.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, those close to him have felt that there have been some vagaries around his role within the team since his arrival.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His ability to balance earnestness and whimsy, dedication and delight, have reaped palpable benefits for SummerFest.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Teiichi Sakurai’s celebration of buckwheat, whimsy and clean technique at Tei-An.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Attempts to resolve ecological responsibility through strict localism often risk sliding into cultural provincialism or nationalist enclosure—fantasies of purity that ignore how deeply entangled our lives already are.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Daily fantasy sports players draft rosters of athletes competing that day, stake money and win cash prizes based on the athletes’ real-life performances.—
Michael Delayo,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If something strikes Lakshmi’s fancy, there’s no gatekeeping.—
Alyse Whitney,
Saveur,
25 Mar. 2026
-
But recording, touring and promoting the six-time multi-platinum group for the past 40+ years left little time for his childhood fancy.—
Lina Lecaro,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Moody and sleek, the Ritz-Carlton, Nomad is also designed to make an impression—and not just because of its 50-story sway.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But visually the scorebug will take some getting used to, and its first impression on Thursday was not good.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whim. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
