whim
/wɪm/ (bre, ipa) · /wɪm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈ(h)wim/ (ame, mw)
whim — 名詞
- whimsingular
- whimsplural
1. A sudden thought or desire, often without a clear reason, that makes a person ac
心血來潮
一時興起的念頭或願望
A sudden thought or desire, often without a clear reason, that makes a person act on impulse rather than through careful planning.
On a whim, Rodrigo booked a flight to Tokyo after seeing photos of the cherry blossoms.
Rodrigo 看到櫻花的照片後一時心血來潮，訂了飛往東京的機票。
on a whim (adverbial phrase for acting impulsively)
The team's entire schedule changed at their manager's whim, leaving everyone frustrated.
團隊的整個行程完全看主管的心血來潮而變動，讓每個人都很挫折。
at the whim of [someone] (phrase for unpredictable authority)
It was just a passing whim, but Nala spent the whole weekend painting her kitchen bright yellow.
那只是一個一時興起的念頭，但 Nala 整個週末都在把廚房漆成亮黃色。
A mere whim led Bilal to quit his job and start a small bakery in the countryside.
Bilal 純粹一時興起，辭了工作跑到鄉下開了一家小麵包店。
- impulse
Stronger and more urgent; an impulse usually leads to immediate action, while a whim can remain a passing thought.
- fancy
Lighter and more playful; a fancy is based on liking something, whereas a whim is more unpredictable and less rational.
- caprice
More formal and literary; caprice emphasises sudden, unmotivated changes of mind, often in contexts of power or authority.
- notion
Broader — a notion can be a well-considered idea, while a whim is always sudden and impulsive.
文法句型
on a whim (acts as an adverbial phrase)
at the whim of [someone/something]
[adjective] + whim (sudden / mere / passing)
用法筆記
Common in the fixed phrases 'on a whim' (meaning impulsively or without planning) and 'at the whim of [someone/something]' (meaning subject to unpredictable decisions). The noun is frequently modified by 'sudden', 'passing', or 'mere' to indicate how serious or lasting the impulse is.