whir
To make a quiet, fast sound like a machine or wings.
To make a continuous low sound like something spinning fast, such as a fan, motor, or wings.
A quiet, fast sound like a fan or motor.
A continuous low sound like something spinning fast, especially a machine or wings.
To go past quickly, sometimes making a soft machine-like sound.
To move quickly, often passing by, sometimes with a soft spinning or humming sound.
To think very fast and not be able to stop.
To have thoughts moving quickly and continuously, especially from excitement, worry, or mental effort.
A quick, fast movement, especially of wings.
A brief, rapid movement that suggests fast spinning or fluttering, especially of wings.
- Base: whir
- Plural: whirs
- Base: whir
- 3rd Person Singular: whirrs, whirs
- Present Participle: whirring
- Past: whirred
- Past Participle: whirred
set [someone]'s mind/thoughts whirring
1make someone think rapidly
To make someone think very fast.
- The email set my mind whirring with possibilities.
- His comment set her thoughts whirring all afternoon.
- The sudden noise set their minds whirring about what had happened.
- The news set my mind whirring.
- That idea set her thoughts whirring.
whir away
1run or work continuously
To keep working with a soft machine sound.
- The air conditioner whirred away in the background.
- While we talked, the washing machine whirred away in the kitchen.
- The servers whirred away all night in the data center.
- The fan is whirring away.
- The machine whirred away.
whir by
1pass quickly with a soft sound
To go past very fast.
- A cyclist whirred by before I could step aside.
- Cars whirred by on the wet road.
- The scenery whirred by outside the window.
- Bikes whirred by.
- Cars whirred by.
whir into life
1start operating suddenly
To start working (like a machine).
- The old generator whirred into life after a few tries.
- As soon as I pressed the button, the projector whirred into life.
- The robot whirred into life and rolled forward.
- The machine whirred into life.
- The fan whirred into life.