swished; swishing; swishes
: to move, pass, swing, or whirl with the sound of a swish
1
: to move, cut, or strike with a swish
the horse swished its tail
2
: to make (a basketball shot) so that the ball falls through the rim without touching it
swished a 3-point jumper
swisher
noun
plural swishes
1
a
: a prolonged hissing sound (as of a whip cutting the air)
b
: a light sweeping or brushing sound
2
: a swishing movement
3
slang, usually disparaging + offensive
: an effeminate gay man
: smart, fashionable
Examples of swish in a Sentence
Verb
He watched as the windshield wipers swished back and forth.
The horse's tail swished back and forth.
The horse swished its tail back and forth.
Noun
the steady swish of the windshield wipers
the mare brushed away the flies with a sweeping swish of her tail
Adjective
a trendy boutique filled with swish accessories for the urban fashionista
Recent Examples on the Web
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2025
This involves swishing coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil (about a tablespoon for adults) for 15-20 minutes and then spitting everything out.4
Many people claim oil pulling fights off gum disease and tartar, but the evidence for this method is mixed.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 16 Feb. 2025
Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 8 June 2017
That goes especially for star Johnny Depp, whose Captain Jack Sparrow remains an unchanging and buffoonish blend of swash and swish.
—Robert W. Butler, kansascity.com, 24 May 2017
Jenny Berg, Allure, 23 Oct. 2024
The adjoining bathroom provides another swish place to freshen up.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for swish
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Verb
Kansas, a team that had hit double-digit 3-point shots in just one Big 12 Conference game all season, swished a season-best 14 treys on 30 attempts in the Jayhawks’ 96-64 rout of Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2025
This involves swishing coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil (about a tablespoon for adults) for 15-20 minutes and then spitting everything out.4
Many people claim oil pulling fights off gum disease and tartar, but the evidence for this method is mixed.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 16 Feb. 2025
Noun
After Kyle Korver of the Cavaliers missed an open 3-pointer, Durant spotted up from the top of the arc — swish — for a 114-113 lead.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 8 June 2017
That goes especially for star Johnny Depp, whose Captain Jack Sparrow remains an unchanging and buffoonish blend of swash and swish.
—Robert W. Butler, kansascity.com, 24 May 2017
Adjective
The blend of citrus, peach blossom, lemon, amber, and verbena doesn’t just smell like a swish salon— it was concocted with ingredients that boost the efficacy of the product.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 23 Oct. 2024
The adjoining bathroom provides another swish place to freshen up.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for swish
Cite this Entry
“Swish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swish. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swish
1 of 2 verb
: to make, move, or strike with a soft rubbing, hissing, or splashing sound
swish
2 of 2 noun1
: a hissing sound (as of a whip cutting the air) or a sound of soft surfaces rubbing against each other
2
: a swishing movement
swishy
adjective
-ē
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