whiz
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A buzzing or hissing sound as of something traveling rapidly through the air.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
wizIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈwɪz
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A buzzing or hissing sound as of something traveling rapidly through the air
“He heard the whiz of bullets near his head.”
A whirring or hissing sound (as above).
informal
Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
informal
Someone who is remarkably skilled at something.
UKslangwith "the"
Pickpocketing.
ukslanguncountable
Amphetamine.
verb
To rush or move swiftly with such a sound.
Make a soft swishing sound
To make a whirring or hissing sound, similar to that of an object speeding through the air.
To throw or spin rapidly.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A buzzing or hissing sound as of something traveling rapidly through the air
Used this way, whiz is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“He heard the whiz of bullets near his head.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “whiz of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Nearby words
- hotshot , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
Natural pattern: whiz of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use whiz
- “He heard the whiz of bullets near his head.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Someone whose career progresses rapidly.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.