whiz

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled Whizz

US /wɪz/ UK /wɪz/ See IPA manual

Homophones

wiz /wɪz/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like with /ð/ vs /z/ Sounds like withe /ð/ vs /z/

Meanings

1

verb
to move swiftly with a hissing sound, or an expert person

The arrow whizzed past his ear and struck the post.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to move swiftly with a... zoom whir speed zip hiss expert wizard

Opposites

novice amateur

Word family

Related forms wizard

Etymology

Of imitative origin, attested from the 16th century, mimicking the hissing or buzzing sound of something moving swiftly. The 'expert' sense (19th–20th century) was reinforced by association with wizard.

whiz onomatopoeic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# whiz

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /wɪz/
**IPA (UK):** /wɪz/

## Meanings
1. to move swiftly with a hissing sound, or an expert person

## Examples
- The arrow whizzed past his ear and struck the post.

## Synonyms
- zoom
- whir
- speed
- zip
- hiss
- expert
- wizard

## Antonyms
- novice
- amateur

## Related Forms
- wizard

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: whiz

## Etymology
Of imitative origin, attested from the 16th century, mimicking the hissing or buzzing sound of something moving swiftly. The 'expert' sense (19th–20th century) was reinforced by association with wizard.

## AI Etymology
Whiz is traced through of imitative origin, attested from the 16th century, mimicking the hissing or buzzing sound of something moving swiftly. The 'expert' sense (19th–20th century) was reinforced by association with wizard. In current use it is a verb and noun meaning "to move swiftly with a hissing sound, or an expert person". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is chiefly morphological, explaining how the modern form packages an older base into its present English use. A central historical form is onomatopoeic whiz. Related English forms include wizard. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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