What does "swish" mean?
A short rustling, hissing or whistling sound, often made by friction.
Swish
/swɪʃ/ adj, intj, noun, verb, slang
adj, intj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A short rustling, hissing or whistling sound, often made by friction.
- Grammar: swish is listed as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: assibilate, assibilation, babble, bent.
- Useful contrasts: brick, halt, miss.
- Usage evidence: Dogs wag their tails and cats swish theirs.
How to use "swish"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "swish" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "swish" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "swish" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "swish" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "swish" is acting as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "assibilate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "swish", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A short rustling, hissing or whistling sound, often made by friction. countable, uncountable
- 2 a brushing or rustling sound wordnet
- 3 A hissing, sweeping movement through the air, as of an animal's tail. countable, uncountable
"As she trotted down the white path, each swish of her tail sent petals dancing through the air, falling where the bride would walk."
- 4 A sound of liquid flowing inside a container. countable, uncountable
"There were four or five men in the vault already, and I could hear more coming down the passage, and guessed from their heavy footsteps that they were carrying burdens. There was a sound, too, of dumping kegs down on the ground, with a swish of liquor inside them, and then the noise of casks being moved."
- 5 A twig or bundle of twigs, used for administering beatings; a switch countable, uncountable
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A successful basketball shot that does not touch the rim or backboard. countable, uncountable
- 7 A rapid or careless attacking stroke by the batter. countable, uncountable
- 8 An effeminate male homosexual. countable, slang, uncountable
""Fairies, nances, swishes, fags, lezzes — call 'em what you please — should of course be permitted to earn honest livings […]"
- 9 Effeminacy, effeminate or homosexual demeanor. slang, uncountable
"He got a little swish downriver."
- 10 An improvised alcoholic drink made by fermenting whatever ingredients are available. Canada, slang, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To make a rustling sound while moving.
"The cane swishes."
- 2 move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing sound wordnet
- 3 To flourish with a swishing sound. transitive
"to swish a cane back and forth"
- 4 To flog; to lash. dated, slang, transitive
"After Virginia came the twins, who were usually called "the Star and Stripes", as they were always getting swished."
- 5 To make a successful basketball shot that does not touch the rim or backboard.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To mince or otherwise to behave in an effeminate manner. slang
"I shall not swish; I'll merely act limp-wristed."
- 7 To cause a liquid to move around in a container, or in one's mouth. transitive
"Swish the mouthwash around the mouth and between the teeth for one minute."
Adjective
- 1 sophisticated; fashionable; smooth. British, colloquial
"This restaurant looks very swish — it even has linen tablecloths."
- 2 Attractive, stylish
"When the boys go swish, they always score"
- 3 Effeminate.
Adjective
- 1 elegant and fashionable wordnet
Intj
- 1 A hissing or whistling sound of something travelling quickly through the air.
""Just like parade it had been a minute before then stumble, bang, swish! Wiped out!" he said."
Example
"Dogs wag their tails and cats swish theirs."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "swish"?
Common synonyms include: assibilate, assibilation, babble, bent, brush, bubble.
How do you use "swish" in a sentence?
Dogs wag their tails and cats swish theirs.
How do you pronounce "swish"?
Pronounced /swɪʃ/.
Etymology
From noun, imitative of the sound