WHIMSICAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does whimsical mean? 

• WHIMSICAL (adjective)
  The adjective WHIMSICAL has 1 sense:

1. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

  Familiarity information: WHIMSICAL used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHIMSICAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

Synonyms:

capricious; impulsive; whimsical

Context example:

the victim of whimsical persecutions

Similar:

arbitrary (based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice)

Derivation:

whimsicality; whimsy (the trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment)

whimsy (an odd or fanciful or capricious idea)

 Context examples 

He greeted me with one of his whimsical smiles.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“But perhaps he may be a little whimsical in his civilities,” replied her uncle.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and its solution is its own reward.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mrs. Warren’s whimsical problem enlarges somewhat and assumes a more sinister aspect as we proceed.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We achieved the rest of our journey pleasantly, sometimes recurring to Doctors' Commons, and anticipating the distant days when I should be a proctor there, which Steerforth pictured in a variety of humorous and whimsical lights, that made us both merry.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Mr. Sherlock Holmes was leaning back in his chair after his whimsical protest, and was unfolding his morning paper in a leisurely fashion, when our attention was arrested by a tremendous ring at the bell, followed immediately by a hollow drumming sound, as if someone were beating on the outer door with his fist.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Henry's words, his description of the ebony cabinet which was to escape her observation at first, immediately rushed across her; and though there could be nothing really in it, there was something whimsical, it was certainly a very remarkable coincidence!

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

He had entitled the story Adventure, and it was the apotheosis of adventure—not of the adventure of the storybooks, but of real adventure, the savage taskmaster, awful of punishment and awful of reward, faithless and whimsical, demanding terrible patience and heartbreaking days and nights of toil, offering the blazing sunlight glory or dark death at the end of thirst and famine or of the long drag and monstrous delirium of rotting fever, through blood and sweat and stinging insects leading up by long chains of petty and ignoble contacts to royal culminations and lordly achievements.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“And rescue us from ourselves,” she completed, with a most adorable smile, whimsical as I had never seen it, for it was whimsical with love.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Only one of those whimsical little incidents which will happen when you have four million human beings all jostling each other within the space of a few square miles.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)