Word of the Day

: December 15, 2009

whimsical

adjective WIM-zih-kul

What It Means

1 : full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims

2 a : resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice; especially : lightly fanciful

b : subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change

whimsical in Context

The whimsical decor of Mary’s home reflects her playful personality.

Did You Know?

As you may have guessed, the words "whimsical," "whim," and "whimsy" are related. All three ultimately derive from the word "whim-wham" ("a whimsical object" or "a whim"), which is of unknown origin and dates to at least 1500. "Whimsy" was the first of the three to spin off from "whim-wham," debuting in print in 1605. English speakers then added the adjective suffix "-ical" to "whimsy" to create "whimsical," dating from 1653. "Whim," which came about as a shortened version of "whim-wham," appeared as early as 1641 in a sense that is now obsolete, but its current sense of "a sudden wish, desire, or change of mind" didn't appear in print until 1686.