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
Synonyms
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
Sam Heller, TIME, 5 Oct. 2024
Work is ongoing — a frenzy of hard hats, fluorescent-jacketed workmen and whirring machinery.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
James Horncastle, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
Because white requires more power for this monitor to display, too much of it also means the fan whirs to life.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for whir 
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Verb
Elsewhere in the city, Israeli drones whir audibly overhead.
—Sam Heller, TIME, 5 Oct. 2024
Work is ongoing — a frenzy of hard hats, fluorescent-jacketed workmen and whirring machinery.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
Noun
Not even the thudding whir of rotor blades from a helicopter overhead quietened them.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
Because white requires more power for this monitor to display, too much of it also means the fan whirs to life.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for whir
Dictionary Entries Near whir
Cite this Entry
“Whir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whir. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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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