variants
or less commonly whirr
whirred; whirring
: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir
hummingbirds whirring past
: to move or carry rapidly with a whir
variants
or less commonly whirr
: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery
Examples of whir in a Sentence
Verb
the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower
our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road
Noun
the whir of a fan
a whir coming from the refrigerator
Recent Examples on the Web
Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Watching hummingbirds whir around your garden is a true delight!
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2025
IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2025
Outside Los Angeles City Hall, the whir of helicopters overhead was drowned out by a cacophony of bullhorns and fiery chanting.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whir
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Verb
The underground club where much of the film takes place, all whirring Vegas-y electronica, could be the single coolest set in cinema.
2.
—Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Watching hummingbirds whir around your garden is a true delight!
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
At the press of a button, the Pad-O-Matic whirs into life, spitting out perfect—and now marginally more convenient!—cryptographic security.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2025
Outside Los Angeles City Hall, the whir of helicopters overhead was drowned out by a cacophony of bullhorns and fiery chanting.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whir
Cite this Entry
“Whir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whir. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whir
1 of 2 verb
variants
also whirr
ˈhwər 
ˈwər
whirred; whirring
: to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a buzzing sound
ceiling fans whirred overhead
whir
2 of 2 noun
variants
also whirr
: a fluttering or vibrating sound made by something in rapid motion
the whir of machinery
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