MEANING
To make a continuous sound associated with rapid rotation or vibration, or to move while making it.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- a fan whirrs
- a whirring motor
On the page
The fan whirred behind the grille while the voices fell silent.
A small motor whirred as the shutter retracted.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- whirr
- Past tense
- whirred
- Past participle
- whirred
- Present participle
- whirring
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- whirr
- Present continuous
- am/is/are whirring
- Present perfect
- have/has whirred
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been whirring
- Past
- whirred
- Past continuous
- was/were whirring
- Past perfect
- had whirred
- Past perfect continuous
- had been whirring
- Future
- will whirr
- Future continuous
- will be whirring
- Future perfect
- will have whirred
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been whirring
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: sensory / description. Forms: whirr; whirrs; whirred; whirred; whirring Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: whirrs.
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