Even the origin of whimsical is whimsical: its ultimate source (by way of the noun whimsy) is the now-obscure whim-wham, a noun from the early 16th century that first referred to an ornamental object or trinket, and later to an eccentric impulse or interest—that is, to what in modern terms can be called a whim. The origin of whim-wham isn’t clear, but it’s among a class of words known as reduplications, words that are formed by repeating a word, as in go-go, or by adding to a word one that sounds very similar to it, as in dillydally. (In the case of whim-wham, the original duplicated term has been lost to time.) While whimsical first described those who tend toward whimsy, it now commonly describes things that are unusual in a playful or amusing way, as in “charmed by the book’s whimsical illustrations.”
You can practically taste the tropics in these whimsical doughnuts. Ripe bananas, toasted coconut and your favorite rum transform traditional doughnuts into paradisiacal ones.—Janice Wald Henderson, Chocolatier, March 2001Unlike the broad slapstick humor of Musical Mose and other early Herriman strips, Krazy Kat was gentle, fey, and whimsical.—Jeet Heer, Lingua Franca, September 2001In the whimsical linguistics of theoretical physics, the "naked" electron is an imaginary object cut off from the influences of the field, whereas a "dressed" electron carries the imprint of the universe, but it is all buried in extremely tiny modifications to its bare properties.—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
She has a whimsical sense of humor.
it's hard to make plans with such a whimsical best friend
Recent Examples on the WebFor the evening’s grand finale, the 28-year-old traded her britches for couture–specifically, Look 35 from Simone Rocha’s collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier, an ethereal, whimsical collection whose inspirations ranged from 1986’s Le Défilé to Countess Ellen Olenska in The Age of Innocence.—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 24 June 2024 The Garrison Club even features a whimsical children’s playroom for entertaining tiny tots.—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 June 2024 These moments are punctuated by a lively and eclectic synth soundtrack, reminiscent of the first film, which adds a whimsical and modern touch to the narrative.—Valerie Complex, Deadline, 14 June 2024 Only available in a 24-ounce version ($25), the whimsical vessel is strewn with delicate colors and patterns.—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for whimsical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whimsical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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