adj
Meaning 1
Synonym of whimsical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: whimsical
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
whimsy
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈwɪmzi/
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/ˈʍɪmzi/
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General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɪmzi
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CMU ARPABET: W IH1 M S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2: HH W IH1 M S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A quaint and fanciful idea; a whim; playfully odd behaviour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
An impulsive, illogical or capricious character.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A whim (capstan or vertical drum).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, usually
Topics: business, mining
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A jigsaw puzzle piece that has been cut into a recognizable shape, as if on a whim; often the shape is representative of the theme of the image used for the puzzle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
The support that protects a finished piece as it is detached from a punty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, usually
Topics: arts, crafts, glassblowing, hobbies, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To fill with whimsies or whims; to make fantastic; to craze.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
the trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- I despair at the flightiness and whimsicality of my memory
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: flightiness, arbitrariness, whimsicality, whimsey, capriciousness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: irresponsibility, irresponsibleness
noun
Meaning 9
an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the theatrical notion of disguise is associated with disaster in his stories
- he had a whimsy about flying to the moon
- whimsy can be humorous to someone with time to enjoy it
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: notion, whim, whimsey
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: idea, thought
History
Etymology
Probably from whims + -y. Related to whim-wham, whim.
Across languages
Translations
27 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: хрумване (hrumvane) — idea
- Chinese Mandarin: 奇思妙想 — idea
- Dutch: luim — idea
- Dutch: kuur — idea
- Dutch: bevlieging — idea
- Finnish: oikku — idea
- French: fantaisie — idea
- German: Laune — idea
- German: Grille — idea
- German: Schrulle — idea
- German: Marotte — idea
- German: Klamauk — idea
- Italian: capriccio — idea
- Italian: stravaganza — idea
- Polish: widzimisię — idea
- Polish: kaprys — idea
- Polish: urojenie — idea
- Portuguese: capricho — idea
- Turkish: kapris — idea
- Bulgarian: своенравност (svoenravnost) — character
- Bulgarian: каприз (kapriz) — character
- Finnish: oikuttelija — character
- French: facétieux — character
- German: Launigkeit — character
- German: Spleenigkeit — character
- German: launiger Charakter — character
- Portuguese: impulsivo — character