MEANING
To turn or flow in a curving, spiral, or eddying motion.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- smoke swirls
- swirl around
On the page
Smoke swirled beneath the rafters.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- swirl
- Past tense
- swirled
- Past participle
- swirled
- Present participle
- swirling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- swirl
- Present continuous
- am/is/are swirling
- Present perfect
- have/has swirled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been swirling
- Past
- swirled
- Past continuous
- was/were swirling
- Past perfect
- had swirled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been swirling
- Future
- will swirl
- Future continuous
- will be swirling
- Future perfect
- will have swirled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been swirling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: swirl; swirls; swirled; swirled; swirling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: swirls.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.