Meaning & use
whirlwind
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Meanings
nouncountable
A column of air that spins quickly around a center and moves across the ground.
Grammar: Countable: a whirlwind swept through.
Patterns
- a whirlwind of something
A whirlwind lifted dust across the field.
The whirlwind tore the tents from the ground.
They watched a small whirlwind spin along the road.
nounsingularfigurative
A period when many things happen very fast and keep you busy or excited.
Grammar: Figurative: a whirlwind of activity.
Patterns
- a whirlwind of something
- in a whirlwind
The week was a whirlwind of meetings.
Their wedding was a happy whirlwind.
Life became a whirlwind after the baby arrived.
adjectivebefore a nounfigurative
Very quick, often exciting, and with little time to spare.
Grammar: Before a noun: whirlwind tour.
Patterns
- a whirlwind tour/romance
They had a whirlwind romance.
The president made a whirlwind tour of five cities.
We took a whirlwind trip to Rome.
Word forms
| plural | whirlwinds |
|---|
Common combinations
- whirlwind romance
- They married after a whirlwind romance.
- whirlwind tour
- The band is on a whirlwind tour.
- whirlwind of activity
- The office was a whirlwind of activity.
- reap the whirlwind
- Those who cause trouble may reap the whirlwind.
- whirlwind visit
- She paid a whirlwind visit to her aunt.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tornado
- A tornado is a powerful funnel storm, while whirlwind can be small and harmless.
- cyclone
- Cyclone is a larger rotating storm system, often used in meteorology.
- flurry
- A flurry is a brief burst of activity, less overwhelming than a whirlwind.
- rush
- Rush is a plain word for a hurry and lacks the spinning image.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: whirlwind or whirlpool?
whirlwind vs whirlpool
A whirlpool is spinning water, while a whirlwind is spinning air.
Practice
They met in May and married in June after a ____ romance.
Choose one answer.
Whirlwind romance is a set phrase meaning very fast. Sluggish would mean slow.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “whirlwind”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.