whimsical

[hwim-zi-kuhl, wim-]

adjective

1. given to whimsy or fanciful notions; capricious.

   a pixyish, whimsical fellow.

2. of the nature of or proceeding from whimsy, as thoughts or actions.

   Her writing showed whimsical notions of human behavior.

3. erratic; unpredictable.

   He was too whimsical with regard to his work.

whimsical

/ ˌwɪmzɪˈkælɪtɪ, ˈwɪmzɪkəl /

adjective

1. spontaneously fanciful or playful

2. given to whims; capricious

3. quaint, unusual, or fantastic

Other Word Forms

• whimsically adverb
• unwhimsical adjective
• unwhimsically adverb
• unwhimsicalness noun
• whimsicalness noun
• whimsicality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of whimsical¹

First recorded in 1645–55; whims(y) + -ical

Example Sentences

Though the scene seems like something out of a movie, it is in fact a whimsical sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Read more on Barron's

Coleman spent almost four decades as NBC4’s whimsical weatherman, a key player in what was arguably the most veteran broadcast news team in Los Angeles.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The whimsical “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired culinary experience is filled with surprises, starting with a menu that appears when you use your “magic” paint brush.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On view until March 29, “The Day Tomorrow Begins” is both whimsical and serious.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And he might settle there, too: He wants to build a home on two cleared lots he envisions packed with whimsical elements like secret underground rooms.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• amusing 
• comical 
• droll 
• eccentric 
• funny 
• mischievous 
• odd 
• unusual 
• weird