whim

noun

ˈ(h)wim 

1

: a capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind : fancy

quit his job on a whim

2

: a large capstan that is made with one or more radiating arms to which a horse may be yoked and that is used in mines for raising ore or water

Synonyms of whim

• notion
• caprice
• thought
• vagary
• whimsy
• fantasy
• fancy
• impression

Choose the Right Synonym for whim

caprice, whim, vagary, crotchet mean an irrational or unpredictable idea or desire.

caprice stresses lack of apparent motivation and suggests willfulness.

by sheer caprice she quit her job

whim implies a fantastic, capricious turn of mind or inclination.

an odd antique that was bought on a whim

vagary stresses the erratic, irresponsible character of the notion or desire.

he had been prone to strange vagaries

crotchet implies an eccentric opinion or preference.

a serious scientist equally known for his bizarre crotchets

Examples of whim in a Sentence

It's hard to predict voters' whims.

on a whim, we stopped at the roadside stand to get ice cream

Recent Examples on the Web

But elevating the whims of progressive activists and government bureaucrats above the wisdom of the marketplace has proven a costly mistake and undermined consumer choice. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

All of this makes the recent terminations tricky for OpenAI and shows that safety disclosures are still very much at the whims of the labs. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

This is hardly new, and scream queens, in particular, are often left to the whims of the internet. — Mariam Bagdady, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026

And where they, too, are terrified by the whims of those above them. — Mark Lilla, The New York Review of Books, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for whim-wham

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing whim

• at the whim of (someone)
• on a whim
• satisfy someone's every whim
• whim-wham

Rhymes for whim

• brim
• clim
• dim
• grim
• gym
• him
• hymn
• im
• limb
• mim
• prim
• rim

Kids Definition

whim

noun

ˈhwim 

ˈwim

: an odd or sudden wish, desire, or change of mind