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whimsical

whimsical

38 7.4
Being playful and imaginative in a way that seems unpredictable
  • adjective
  • /ˈwɪmzɪkəl/
translation icon : caprichoso
  • The children's story was filled with whimsical characters and fantastical adventures.
  • a whimsical style
  • a whimsical construction

And two, it's really fun and whimsical, yet kind of practical.

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Examples

  • I like combining whimsical with classical if they work.

  • The arches in the doorways are whimsical, with funny curves along the edges.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • But this is kind of a fun, whimsical thing that it's doing.

  • And two, it's really fun and whimsical, yet kind of practical.

  • Monica has a little bit more of like a whimsical take on design.

  • The music has a colorful and, at times, whimsical feel to it.

    Academic text (2013)
  • It was just easy, whimsical, fun to read.

  • I think it's mystical and whimsical and just, well, just lovely.

  • Saul Griffith's career to now has walked the line between the whimsical and the practical.

    Academic text (2009)
  • One can't help but wonder if Mr. Morressy found inspiration for this whimsical tale while doing the dishes...

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

impulsive
vswhimsical
78 4.4

Acting suddenly without careful thought because of a strong feeling

is more about playful fancy and unpredictability than mere sudden action
capricious
vswhimsical
19 7.9

Showing sudden changes in mood, like going from happy to angry

is more about choices from fancy and imagination than mood swings
fanciful
vswhimsical
12 6.0

Imaginative but not true or practical

adds unpredictability and impulsive caprice to that same imaginative quality
whacky
vswhimsical
  • Informal
1 7.7

Funny in a strange or silly way

focuses more on unpredictable fancy and caprice rather than simple silliness
nimptopsical
vswhimsical
  • Neologism
9.9

Playful and a little strange in a way that makes people smile

is the more common and widely used word for this idea

Antonyms

507 2.6

About how something works in real life rather than in ideas

452 1.4

Calm and focused, not playful or joking

Compounds

A person in a story who is amusingly odd and playful

How Whimsical

capricious
19 7.9
fanciful
12 6.0
whimsical
38 7.4
quirky
67 4.4
playful
79 1.6

Surface Forms

whimsical positive

Morphology

whimsical = whimsy (transparent) = whimsy + ical

Formed straightforwardly from 'whimsy' + the adjectival suffix '-ical', yielding 'characterized by whimsy' which learners can infer from the base.

Etymology

The word whimsical comes from the small English word whim and the related whimsy, which mean a 'sudden idea' or 'fancy', plus the ending -ical that makes it an adjective. So whimsical describes something playful, imaginative, or unpredictable, like a choice made on a sudden fancy.