swish

1 of 3

verb

swished; swishing; swishes

intransitive verb

: to move, pass, swing, or whirl with the sound of a swish

transitive verb

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
swishingly adverb

swish

2 of 3

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

swish

3 of 3

adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Fill the whole thing with water, swish the leaves around to remove any sediment and discard the water (or give your houseplants a drink with it). Kayleigh Drake, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025 Long before Golden State star Steph Curry’s first shot of the night swished through the net and hours prior to Seth Curry checking into the game, a proud father beamed with pride in anticipation. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

Adjective

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1756, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1766, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swish was in 1756

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swish. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

swish

1 of 2 verb
: to make, move, or strike with a soft rubbing, hissing, or splashing sound

swish

2 of 2 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on swish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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