whimsical
/ˈwɪmzɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɪmzɪkəl] /ˈwɪmzɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɪmzɪkəl] /ˈ(h)wim-zi-kəl How to pronounce whimsical (audio)/ (ame, mw)
whimsical — adjective
- whimsicalpositive
- more whimsicalcomparative
- most whimsicalsuperlative
1. odd enough to make people either laugh or feel a bit annoyed — used for strange
odd enough to make people either laugh or feel a bit annoyed — used for strange decorations, silly rules, or unexpected customs that stand out.
Whimsical sculptures made from old bicycle parts filled the garden.
collocation: whimsical sculptures / whimsical decorations
Nellie found the dress code so whimsical that students wore cowboy boots one day and suits the next.
A whimsical tradition at the cafe required new employees to sing on their first shift.
Rodrigo found his aunt's whimsical habit of naming plants after painters both charming and baffling.
The hotel had a whimsical policy of serving breakfast in the lobby on upside-down plates.
- quirky
emphasises an odd but charming personality, while whimsical suggests a lighter, more playful strangeness
- eccentric
stronger and more permanent — eccentric describes a person's character; whimsical can describe a single act or thing
- playful
focuses on fun rather than strangeness; whimsical includes the element of surprising oddness
- serious
whimsical things are not meant to be taken seriously
- conventional
whimsical behaviour goes against what is expected or traditional
用法筆記
Often describes objects, traditions, rules, decorations, or behaviour that stand out as pleasantly odd rather than simply wrong.
常見錯誤
2. driven by a sudden fancy or passing thought instead of careful reasoning — the p
driven by a sudden fancy or passing thought instead of careful reasoning — the person follows whatever idea comes to mind, often changing direction without notice.
The director's whimsical decisions meant the film's ending changed completely three times during production.
subject: a person's decisions / choices
Bao made a whimsical choice to quit his job and cycle to France without any map.
Arjun's whimsical spending left him with clothes he bought on a whim and never wore.
The artist's style was whimsical — she painted whatever came into her head that morning.
A whimsical change of plan sent the family to the beach instead of their original destination.
- capricious
more formal and often negative; capricious suggests irresponsible or unreasonable changes, while whimsical can be charming
- fickle
negative — describes a person who cannot stay loyal; whimsical is milder and focuses on the act, not the person's character
- impulsive
describes the nature of a single action; whimsical suggests a pattern of following fancies
- predictable
whimsical behaviour is the opposite of predictable
- rational
whimsical choices are not based on reason or logic
用法筆記
Describes decisions, choices, habits, or plans driven by a sudden impulse (whim) rather than logic. The focus is on lack of predictability rather than strangeness.