Whim

/wɪm/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A sudden and impulsive idea or desire.

She bought the dress on a whim, not knowing if she would ever wear it.

A fanciful or capricious notion.

His decision to travel to Paris was purely on a whim.

A fleeting or unpredictable change of mind.

The whim of the moment led him to quit his job and pursue his passion for art.

verb

To do something on a whim; act upon a whim.

They whimsically decided to take a road trip without planning.

Middle English 'whim' derives from the word 'whimsy', which means a whim or a caprice.

on a whim

doing something impulsively or without planning

whim of fate

an unpredictable change in circumstances

go with the whim

to act according to one's instant desires

whimsical

playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way

whimsy

the quality of being strange and unusual in a way that is often amusing

caprice

a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior

A spontaneous decision that is often trivial.

We decided to go on that trip just on a whim.

A light-hearted or funny idea.

His whim to start a band was unexpected but fun.