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whale

whale

20 7.5
A very large or powerful person who is impressive
  • noun
  • /weɪl/
  • Slang
: gigante
  • - ED: Oh, yeah, we're having a whale of a time.

Never talk to Ryan again, he doesn't date whales like you.

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Examples

  • And I know what he's thinking: Mouse is having herself a whale of a time.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • At the party, everyone was having a whale of a time dancing and laughing together.

  • BOBBY: Ride the White Whale, baby!

  • This is your white whale.

  • The enormous whale of a man tried to cover his basketball head with a cap.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • ELLIE: Well, we had a whale of a storm.

  • All I had was that state of feeling as though I was a great whale gliding through a sea of silent euphoria.

  • Sadie has broad shoulders, a whale-bone waist, and endless hips.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The children had a whale of a time at the amusement park, enjoying all the rides and games.

  • The team's victory brought a whale of joy to the fans celebrating in the stands.

Synonyms

giant
vswhale
190 1.0

A very large and strong person or thing

is broader, also referring to notable nonphysical qualities rather than only size
heavyweight
vswhale
23 3.5

A person who has great power or influence in a field

is about being large or impressive in qualities rather than public importance
hulk
vswhale
18 4.7

A very large heavy person, animal, or thing

focuses more on general impressiveness or notable personal qualities rather than raw heaviness
jumbo
vswhale
6 2.5

A very large thing like a pizza or teddy bear

highlights being impressive in size or special qualities rather than mere bigness

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Ordinary and not very good

4 2.0

A person or thing that is not special

Idioms

1 6.1

A time when you have a lot of fun

whale of a show
  • Informal
1 6.4

A very good performance or event that impresses many people

like a whale
  • Informal
1 9.6

In a clumsy way, especially when moving or singing

9.3

To try to reach a very difficult or impossible goal for a long time

6.1

A very exciting and special experience with surprises

Compounds

31 1.4

A very large whale that is bluish grey and the largest animal ever

24 3.2

A large black and white whale with teeth that hunts other sea animals

8 3.5

A very large fish with white spots that moves slowly and eats tiny sea animals and plants

A large whale with long flippers that arches its back when diving

6 6.5

A small whale like the beluga that is white as an adult and lives in very cold northern waters

5 3.7

A very large whale with a huge head and big teeth that lives in deep oceans

5 7.9

A very large whale with baleen that lives in cold coastal waters and is endangered

4 3.5

A medium-sized whale with grey skin that lives in the northern Pacific Ocean

beached whale
  • Informal
4 8.5

A very tired person who lies down and feels awkward or helpless

3 4.0

A large whale with a flat head, long body and small back fin found in the Atlantic and Pacific

3 5.5

A small dark sea animal that lives in groups led by the largest male

whale oil
  • Archaic
2 7.8

A pale yellow to brown oil from whale fat that people use to light lamps

minke whale
  • Specialized
1 6.2

A small whale with a dark, smooth body and a small fin on its back

bowhead whale
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A very large whale that lives in Arctic waters with a curved mouth and big body

beaked whale
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A medium-sized whale with a long narrow snout that dives deep in oceans

baleen whale
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A large whale with plates in its mouth that filter tiny sea animals

1 7.2

A large whale with a rounded forehead and a long beak

sei whale
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A large ocean whale that eats small animals by filtering water

A very large sea animal with a big rounded head that lives in Arctic waters

whale of a car
  • Informal
1 7.9

A very large impressive car that looks expensive

1 7.7

A very large whale like the sperm whale that has oil and ambergris in its head

A whale that has teeth and eats fish or squid, like dolphins and porpoises

whalebone whale
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A large whale that uses thin, brush-like plates in its mouth to filter tiny sea animals from water

dwarf sperm whale
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A very small sperm whale that lives in warm and cool seas and grows to about 8 feet long

whale louse
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small sea animal like a tiny crab that lives on the skin of whales

A whale with a rounded forehead that lives in the North Atlantic

A large whale with baleen plates, a flat head, and throat ridges that lives in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

A small sperm whale that lives in warm ocean waters

blue whale
  • Offensive
8.1

A dangerous online challenge that encouraged people to do harmful tasks, sometimes leading to self-harm

7.4

A small dark whale near the US Atlantic coast whose largest male leads the group

piked whale
  • Archaic
7.9

A small whale that lives near coasts, like the minke whale

A large fish that clings to whales or dolphins using a suction disk on its head

How Impressive

titan
20 7.1
whale
  • Slang
20 7.5
giant
26 4.0
star
∞ 1.1
notable
5 4.1
figure
615 4.1

Surface Forms

whale singular
whales plural

Etymology

The word whale is used by comparison to mean a very large or impressive person, because it originally named the giant sea animal whale. Think of someone 'as big as a whale' to remember this meaning.