First Known Use: 1653
Dictionary
whimsical
adjective whim·si·cal \ˈhwim-zi-kəl, ˈwim-\
: unusual in a playful or amusing way : not serious
Full Definition of WHIMSICAL
2
a : resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice; especially : lightly fanciful <whimsical decorations> b : subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change
— whim·si·cal·i·ty \ˌhwim-zə-ˈka-lə-tē, ˌwim-\ noun
— whim·si·cal·ly \ˈhwim-zi-k(ə-)lē, ˈwim-\ adverb
— whim·si·cal·ness \-kəl-nəs\ noun
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Examples of WHIMSICAL
- 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 2001
- Unlike the broad slapstick humor of Musical Mose and other early Herriman strips, Krazy Kat was gentle, fey, and whimsical. —Jeet Heer, Lingua Franca, September 2001
- In 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
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Origin of WHIMSICAL
whimsy
Related to WHIMSICAL
- Synonyms
- capricious, freakish, impulsive
WHIMSICALLY Defined for Kids
whimsical
adjective whim·si·cal \ˈhwim-zi-kəl, ˈwim-\
Definition of WHIMSICAL for Kids
1
: full of whims
2
: unusual in a playful or amusing way <a whimsical tale of youth>
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