adj
Meaning 1
Rapid and minimal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- a whirlwind tour, a whirlwind romance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
whirlwind
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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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈwɜːlwɪnd/
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General-American: /ˈ(h)wɝlwɪnd/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: W ER1 L W IH2 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2: HH W ER1 L W IH2 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A windstorm of limited extent, such as a tornado, dust devil, or waterspout, characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with an upward current in the center; a vortex of air.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A person or body of objects or events sweeping violently onward.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- Once he got that new scooter he turned into a whirlwind and damaged all the flowers.
- The weeks leading up to the convention were a whirlwind of preparation and hurried activity.
- swept up in the whirlwind of war
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: vortex, maelstrom
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
a more or less vertical column of air whirling around itself as it moves over the surface of the Earth
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: windstorm
Narrower terms: dust devil
History
Etymology
From Middle English whirlewind, whirlewynde, equivalent to whirl + wind. Compare Middle Dutch wervelwint, Old Norse hvirfilvindr.
Across languages
Translations
130 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Albanian: shakullinë — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Arabic: زَوْبَعَة (zawbaʕa) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Armenian: մրրիկ (mrrik) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Asturian: torbolín — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Asturian: terbulín — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Azerbaijani: qasırğa — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Azerbaijani: burağan — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Azerbaijani: burulğan — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Bashkir: ҡойон (qoyon) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Belarusian: ві́хур (víxur) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Belarusian: ві́хура (víxura) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Breton: avel-dro — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Bulgarian: ви́хър (víhǎr) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Bulgarian: вихрушка (vihruška) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Burmese: လေကတော့ (leka.tau.) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Burmese: လေပွေ (le-pwe) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Burmese: ရေကတော့ (reka.tau.) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Catalan: terbolí — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Chinese: щүанфыр (xüanfɨr) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Chinese Mandarin: 旋風 /旋风 (xuànfēng) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Chinese Mandarin: 飆 /飙 (biāo) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Chukchi: янрайгын (janrajgyn) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Czech: smršť — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Danish: hvirvelvind — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Dutch: windhoos — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Dutch: wervelwind — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Esperanto: ciklono — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Estonian: tuulispask — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Finnish: pyörremyrsky — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Finnish: pyörretuuli — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- French: cyclone — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Galician: remuíño — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Galician: voraxen — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Galician: refolión — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Galician: refolada — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Georgian: გრიგალი (grigali) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Georgian: ქარიშხალი (karišxali) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- German: Wirbelwind — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- German: Wirbelsturm — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Greek: ανεμοστρόβιλος (anemostróvilos) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ancient Greek: λαῖλαψ (laîlaps) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ancient Greek: βέμβιξ (bémbix) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Greenlandic: anoraarsuaq — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Hawaiian: puahiohio — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Hindi: बवंडर (bavaṇḍar) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Hindi: चक्रवात (cakravāt) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Hungarian: forgószél — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ido: aerovortico — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ingrian: viihkura — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Irish: cuaifeach — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Italian: turbine — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Japanese: 旋風 (tsumujikaze) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Kazakh: құйын (qūiyn) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Khmer: កំបុតត្បូង (kɑmbot tboung) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Korean: 선풍 (seonpung) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Kyrgyz: куюн (kuyun) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Lao: ຫົວກຸດ (hūa kut) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Lao: ຈັກກະວາດ (chak ka wāt) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Latin: turbō — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Latin: vertex — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Latvian: viesulis — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Lithuanian: viesulas — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Macedonian: ви́ор (víor) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Māori: āwhiowhio — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Māori: tūkauati — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Māori: ānewa — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Māori: urupuhau — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Mongolian: хуй (xuj) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Navajo: náátsʼóʼoołdísii — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ndonga: okambiya class 12 — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Norwegian Bokmål: virvelvind — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Norwegian Nynorsk: virvelvind — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Norwegian Nynorsk: kvervelvind — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Old English: þoden — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Oromo: bubbee — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Persian: گردباد (gerdbâd) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Plautdietsch: Wirbelstorm — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Polish: trąba powietrzna — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Portuguese: turbilhão — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Punjabi: ਵਾਵਰੋਲਾ (vāvrolā) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Russian: вихрь (vixrʹ) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Russian: смерч (smerč) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Samoan: āsiosio — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Scottish Gaelic: ioma-ghaoth — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Serbo-Croatian: ви̏хор — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Serbo-Croatian: vȉhor — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Slovak: víchrica — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Slovene: vihar — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Southern Altai: куйун (kuyun) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Spanish: torbellino — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Swedish: virvelvind — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tagalog: buhawi — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tagalog: ipu-ipo — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tahitian: puahiohio — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tajik: гирдбод (girdbod) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tamil: சுழல்காற்று (cuḻalkāṟṟu) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tamil: சூறைக்காற்று (cūṟaikkāṟṟu) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tamil: சூறாவளி (cūṟāvaḷi) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Tatar: коен (qoyın) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Telugu: సుడిగాలి (suḍigāli) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Thai: ลมวน (lom-won) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Thai: พายุหมุน (paa-yú-mǔn) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Thai: บ้าหมู (bâa-mǔu) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Thai: ลมหัวกุด — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Turkish: burağan — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Turkish: kasırga — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ottoman Turkish: بوراغان (burağan) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ottoman Turkish: طولومبه (tulumba) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Ukrainian: ви́хор (výxor) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Unami: owiyalahsu — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Uyghur: قۇيۇن (quyun) — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Uzbek: uyurma — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Uzbek: quyun — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Vietnamese: gió lốc — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Vietnamese: lốc — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Welsh: troellwynt — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Welsh: awel dro — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Welsh: corwynt — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Welsh: trowynt — violent windstorm of limited extent characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air
- Chinese Mandarin: 一片忙亂 /一片忙乱 (yī piàn mángluàn) — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Finnish: pyörremyrsky — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- German: Wirbelwind — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Greek: λαίλαπα (laílapa) — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Greek: ανεμοστρόβιλος (anemostróvilos) — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Norwegian Bokmål: virvelvind — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Norwegian Nynorsk: virvelvind — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Norwegian Nynorsk: kvervelvind — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Polish: tornado — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Russian: урага́н (uragán) — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
- Spanish: tromba — body of objects or events sweeping violently onward
Real reading context