What does "whist" mean?
Any of several four-player card games, similar to bridge.
Whist
/wɪst/ adj, intj, noun, verb
adj, intj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of several four-player card games, similar to bridge.
- Grammar: whist is listed as adj, intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: blackjack, bridge, card game, four-handed card game.
- Usage evidence: Playing whist by the cabin lamps when it is storming outside is pleasant; walking the quarterdeck in the moonlight is pleasant; smoking in the breezy foretop is pleasant when one is not afraid to go up there; but these are all feeble and commonplace compared with the joy of seeing people suffering the miseries of seasickness.
How to use "whist"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "whist" 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 "whist" 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 "whist" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "whist" 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 "whist" is acting as adj, intj, noun, verb 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 "blackjack" 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 "whist", 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 Any of several four-player card games, similar to bridge. countable, uncountable
- 2 a card game for four players who form two partnerships; a pack of 52 cards is dealt and each side scores one point for each trick it takes in excess of six wordnet
- 3 A session of playing this card game. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To hush or shush; to still. rare, transitive
"o was the Titaness put downe and whist"
- 2 To become silent. intransitive, rare
"The fields whist, beasts, and fowls of divers bue"
Adjective
- 1 Silent, hushed. rare
"Come unto these yellow sands, / And then take hands: / Courtsied when you have and kiss'd / The wild waves whist, / Foot it featly here and there; / And, sweet sprites, the burthen bear.[…]"
Intj
- 1 Alternative spelling of whisht. Silence!, quiet!, hush!, shhh!, shush! alt-of, alternative
"… for scarcely had they descended one hundred feet, when a low “whist” from the girl, warned them of present danger."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Playing whist by the cabin lamps when it is storming outside is pleasant; walking the quarterdeck in the moonlight is pleasant; smoking in the breezy foretop is pleasant when one is not afraid to go up there; but these are all feeble and commonplace compared with the joy of seeing people suffering the miseries of seasickness."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "whist"?
Common synonyms include: blackjack, bridge, card game, four-handed card game, game, hush.
How do you use "whist" in a sentence?
Playing whist by the cabin lamps when it is storming outside is pleasant; walking the quarterdeck in the moonlight is pleasant; smoking in the breezy foretop is pleasant when one is not afraid to go up there; but these are all feeble and commonplace compared with the joy of seeing people suffering the miseries of seasickness.
How do you pronounce "whist"?
Pronounced /wɪst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Alteration of whisk, perhaps so called from the notion of “whisking” up cards after each trick. Altered perhaps on assumption that the word was an interjection invoking silence, by influence of whist (“silent”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English whist (“silent”), possibly onomatopoeic.