whirled

IPA/wɜːl/
KK[wˈɚld]IPA/wɝːl/

whirled — verb

  • whirledpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • whirleds3rd person singular
  • whirleding-ing form
  • whirlededpast simple

1. to move around and around quickly in circles, or to cause someone or something t

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to move around and around quickly in circles, or to cause someone or something to move in this way

Example

The autumn leaves whirled in the cold wind before landing on the wet path.

intransitive use with prepositional phrase describing location

Mei whirled the silk scarf above her head as she danced across the studio.

transitive use with object and adverb phrase

Common collocations
  • whirl around
  • whirl away
  • whirl through the air
  • whirl past
  • whirl across the floor
  • whirl round and round
  • leaves whirl
  • dancers whirl
  • whirl a scarf
  • whirl a baton
Synonyms
  • spin

    the closest synonym; spin can be slower and more controlled, while whirl suggests more speed and less control

  • twirl

    more deliberate and often playful, often done by a person; whirl can be accidental or natural

  • revolve

    much slower and more regular; used for planets, machinery, not for sudden movement

Antonyms
  • stop

    to cease moving; the opposite of beginning to spin

Grammar Patterns

whirl + adverb/preposition (intransitive)

whirl + object + adverb/preposition (transitive)

Usage Note

When used intransitively, the subject is typically something that can spin easily (leaves, dancers, blades). When used transitively, the object is usually something long or flexible that can be swung in circles (a scarf, a baton, a cape).

Common Mistakes

The dancer whirled around the stage for two hours.' (The continuous time frame feels odd for a sudden motion.)
The dancer whirled across the stage in one smooth motion.
Whirl usually describes a brief, fast spin, not a sustained activity.

whirled — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These four verbs all describe circular motion, but they differ in speed, control, and typical context. Spin is the closest synonym for whirl and suggests fast, continuous rotation around an internal axis — a spinning top, or spinning a basketball on one finger. Twirl implies deliberate, often playful rotation done by a person, such as twirling hair or a dancer twirling on stage. Revolve describes slow, steady movement around an external center — the Earth revolves around the Sun. Rotate is more technical and mechanical, emphasizing turning on a fixed axis — rotate the tires or rotate the crops. Whirl is faster and less controlled than spin, often carrying a visual sense of blur or commotion. For example, autumn leaves whirl in the wind (uncontrolled, fast), while a figure skater spins on the ice (controlled, centered). In daily conversation, spin is used far more often than whirl, which has a slightly literary or dramatic feel.

spin ↗twirl ↗revolve ↗rotate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Whirl comes from Old English hwyrflian, meaning 'to turn around' or 'to revolve.' It traces back to the Proto-Germanic root *hwerbaną ('to turn'), which also gave rise to Old Norse hvirfla and Middle Dutch wervelen. The ancient sense of fast circular motion has remained remarkably stable across more than a thousand years. The figurative meaning — a busy, exciting period of activity — emerged in the nineteenth century, drawing on the image of being carried along helplessly by a spinning force.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1 Noun