whoosh

noun
\ ˈhwüsh How to pronounce whoosh (audio) , ˈwüsh, ˈ(h)wu̇sh How to pronounce whoosh (audio) \

Definition of whoosh

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a swift or explosive rush also : the sound created by such a rush often used interjectionally

whoosh

verb
whooshed; whooshing; whooshes

Definition of whoosh (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to rush past or move explosively cars whooshing along the expressway

transitive verb

: to move (a person or thing) with or as if with a whoosh

Examples of whoosh in a Sentence

Verb

Cars whooshed along the highway. Water whooshed down the pipe.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

An espresso machines whirls and whooshes, coins clatter in a cash register, bags scrape along the floor. Deanna Pan, BostonGlobe.com, "A day at South Station: A gateway to Boston, an intersection of many different lives," 17 Aug. 2019 Carr puts their texts on-screen with the accompanying pings and whooshes of real messages, giving some sense of the dopamine hits their communiqués must have offered. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Cultural Fault Lines of I Love You, Now Die," 10 July 2019 Wind hits the microphone, texturing the tape with whooshes. Randall Roberts, latimes.com, "We inhaled all 16 hours of Radiohead's ‘OK Computer’ sessions. Here are the best bits," 11 June 2019 Indeed, the collection’s strongest looks — like a simple T-shirt with a whoosh of blue watercolor on one shoulder — looked just like Jones exploring his own artistic self. Washington Post, "Dior brings art to Paris fashion for sculpted men’s show," 21 June 2019 The other is at the top of a mound, where the wind whooshes by, so there’s an area of low pressure at that end of the tunnel. Helen Czerski, WSJ, "Ventilation Tips From the Animal Kingdom," 1 Aug. 2018 These scooters are limited to 15 miles per hour, but that is still zippy enough to put a satisfying whoosh in your hair. Kevin Roose, New York Times, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Electric Scooters," 6 June 2018 As the rumble of gas engines fades, lightsaber-like whooshes of electric cars and bike bells enter into ear shot. Diana Budds, Curbed, "The future of urban mobility will be shaped by these six issues," 18 Dec. 2018 One county technician, dumbfounded by the whoosh of code rocketing across the screen, somberly took out his phone and began to film it. Benjamin Wofford, Vox, "The midterms are already hacked. You just don’t know it yet.," 25 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Caltrain’s electric cars could eventually share tracks with bullet trains whooshing in from Southern California. Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "Caltrain maps out big growth and how to pay the $25 billion tab," 22 July 2019 The Mount Hood mainstay on Monday opened its Timberline Bike Park: a project 10 years in the making that will allow mountain bikers to whoosh downhill and ride a chairlift back up. oregonlive.com, "New Mount Hood bike park opens: ’It’s going to change the face of Timberline’," 12 Aug. 2019 Painter tarps, ladders and a movable scaffold create various effects — campsites, mountains, boats whooshing down roaring rapids. Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Men on Boats’ puts women at the helm of this thrill ride," 16 July 2019 Awe, the little sister of those blue whoosh feelings, helps pull us out of those moments. Ailsa Ross, Longreads, "Mountains, Transcending," 9 Aug. 2019 But the same day the women were found alive on Patos Island, an ambulance with more survivors whooshed by. New York Times, "She Was Duped and Shipped to a Brothel at 16. Then the Boat Sank.," 10 July 2019 There's that whooshing groundswell where the powerful forces of food, society, upscale retail and anticipation collide in the cultural fission chamber that is Houston. Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle, "MAD: A sensory ambush arrives at River Oaks District," 19 June 2019 European-style compact cars whooshed by the busy avenue near where a subway was being constructed under streets with names like Allenby (after British general Edmund Allenby). Debbie Spingarn, BostonGlobe.com, "A familial journey to Israel, launched with a simple cheek swab," 13 June 2019 Consider a dress that turns traditional looming heddles into whooshing sequins that shimmied and whirred as the model walked down the runway, the sound itself a callback to the hubbub of a factory at its busiest hour. Steff Yotka, Vogue, "“I Really Feel Quite Lucky”—Sarah Burton Reflects on Her Magical Career at Alexander McQueen," 30 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whoosh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of whoosh

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

History and Etymology for whoosh

Noun

imitative

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More Definitions for whoosh

whoosh

noun

English Language Learners Definition of whoosh

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: the sound made by something that is moving quickly
: a small amount of gas, liquid, etc., that comes from a place quickly

whoosh

verb

English Language Learners Definition of whoosh (Entry 2 of 2)

: to move very quickly with the sound of quickly flowing air or water

whoosh

verb
\ ˈhwüsh How to pronounce whoosh (audio) , ˈwüsh, ˈhwu̇sh, ˈwu̇sh\
whooshed; whooshing

Kids Definition of whoosh

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to pass or move along with a sound like that of something moving quickly

whoosh

noun
plural whooshes

Kids Definition of whoosh (Entry 2 of 2)

: the sound created by something moving quickly