whimsical

Intermediatezipf 3.10

Pronunciation

/ˈwɪmzɪkəl/(WIM-zih-kul)

Part of speech

adjectiveneutral

Chinese

异想天开的；古怪有趣的；随心所欲的

Definition

Playfully quaint or fanciful; acting on sudden impulse.

Word family

  • whimsy/ˈwɪmzi/(n)奇想
  • whimsically/ˈwɪmzɪkəli/(adv)异想天开地

Collocations

  • whimsical design
  • whimsical humor
  • whimsical idea
  • whimsical charm

Examples

  1. 1.The garden had a whimsical charm with its unusual sculptures. (playfully creative)
  2. 2.She made a whimsical decision to quit her job and travel the world. (spontaneous, impulsive)

Synonyms

  • playful/ˈpleɪfʊl/— fun, lighthearted
  • quirky/ˈkwɜːki/— unusual in an appealing way
  • fanciful/ˈfænsɪfʊl/— imaginative, not realistic

Etymology

from "whim" = a sudden, impulsive idea — based on whims, not logic