on a whim
24
5.8
- idiom
:
por impulso
- She bought the jacket on a whim while shopping, even though she hadn't planned to.
But yeah, buying things on a whim is not something that I do.
- But yeah, buying things on a whim is not something that I do.
- And I try to kind of say yes to things on a whim a little bit more.
- And I googled lifestyle change on a whim.
- So this guy just started a watch company just on a whim.
- They want to feel free to let the muse strike so that they can create on a whim.
- I booked this flight on a whim with a friend and I don't know anything about it.
- And so I downloaded TikTok on a whim and thought maybe I would start talking about these things.
- How someone could amass at this much wealth to then on a whim decide to buy a major social platform, Right.
- I wrote a test chapter in the second person on a whim and it worked and I decided to keep doing it.
- So your older brother just on a whim decided in that moment, like, yeah, fuck it, I'll get this shot.
- And I went to see it on a whim based on a recommendation from a friend and noticing like, how did this film?
- If you're watching this podcast on a whim, hit a girl.
- So talk about communications and and getting getting grunts to do on a whim.
- I just happened to be in the call and we were playing FIFA Pro clubs and went on to the video, Will Marriott on a whim.
Examples
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And so I downloaded TikTok on a whim and thought maybe I would start talking about these things.
-
I sort of signed up on a whim.
-
But yeah, buying things on a whim is not something that I do.
-
And I try to kind of say yes to things on a whim a little bit more.
-
I picked those on a whim!
-
I wrote to you on a whim, you know, in April.
Fiction book (1991) -
Once, on a whim, he drove her up to the Valley for the day.
Fiction book (1994) -
Last week, on a whim, I stopped by while Julio was still at work.
Fiction book (1999) -
Sometimes you download an app on a whim and then find yourself deleting that app immediately.
Blog text (6) -
I booked this flight on a whim with a friend and I don't know anything about it.
Synonyms
48
4.4
To act naturally without planning or being forced
12
5.5
A sudden decision made without thinking
12
5.1
Act quickly because you suddenly want to, without thinking first
7
6.3
Said or done immediately without careful thought
6
4.4
To act suddenly without planning or thinking
1
7.8
To suddenly choose to do something without planning
Antonyms
How Impulsive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'whim' (a spontaneous, often irrational desire) combined with the prepositional pattern 'on + noun' indicating action motivated by that state. This compositional construction is common in English and in many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer 'on a whim' = impulsively/without planning.
Etymology
On a whim may come from an old short word whim, meaning a small, sudden idea or fancy. Because it names that quick thought that makes you act, on a whim means doing something 'suddenly' or 'without planning'.