whimsy
whimsy — 名詞
- whimsysingular
- whimsiesplural
1. a playful, pleasantly strange quality that makes you smile or feel charmed — fou
俏皮趣味
古怪又好玩的趣味特質
a playful, pleasantly strange quality that makes you smile or feel charmed — found in art, writing, design, or someone's personality
The illustrator's style has a gentle whimsy that appeals to both children and adults.
這位插畫家的風格帶著一股柔和的俏皮趣味，大人小孩都喜歡。
uncountable: 'a gentle whimsy' describing a quality
There is a certain whimsy in the way Kwame arranges found objects into tiny sculptures.
Kwame 將隨手撿來的東西組裝成小雕塑，過程中自有一種奇趣。
pattern: 'whimsy in the way someone does something'
The film blends melancholy with moments of pure whimsy, like a floating whale that sings opera.
這部電影融合了憂鬱與純粹的奇思妙想，例如一頭唱著歌劇的漂浮鯨魚。
What I love about Noa's poems is the lightness and whimsy — nothing feels forced.
我很喜歡 Noa 詩中的輕盈與奇趣──絲毫沒有刻意之感。
- playfulness
more general; whimsy adds a sense of strangeness or surprise
- whimsicality
identical meaning but far less common — whimsy is preferred in everyday writing
- fancifulness
emphasises imagination over humour; can sound a bit formal
- seriousness
whimsy is defined by its unserious, light quality
- sobriety
formal opposite; suggests a total absence of playful imagination
文法句型
whimsy + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'gentle', 'pure', 'light', or 'childlike'. Common in arts criticism.
常見錯誤
2. an object, design, idea, or piece of writing that is intentionally odd or humoro
新奇玩物
刻意搞怪卻無深度的作品
an object, design, idea, or piece of writing that is intentionally odd or humorous but is not meant to be taken seriously or has little real value
The garden is full of little whimsies — stone frogs playing chess, a hedge trimmed into a giant teapot.
花園裡到處都是新奇的小玩意──有下棋的石頭青蛙，還有一棵修剪成巨型茶壺的樹籬。
countable plural: 'whimsies' referring to objects
Critics dismissed the novel as a mere whimsy, charming but ultimately shallow.
評論家認為這部小說不過是搞怪之作，雖然迷人，但終究流於膚淺。
singular countable: 'a mere whimsy' in literary criticism
Valentina's latest collection features porcelain teacups with tiny fish swimming inside the handles — a delightful whimsy.
Valentina 的最新系列有幾款瓷茶杯，杯柄內部游著小魚──真是可愛的逗趣小物。
The gallery specialises in decorative whimsies that sell for surprisingly high prices.
這間藝廊專賣裝飾性的新奇小物，售價高得驚人。
- curio
an unusual object, especially one valued as decoration; less judgmental
- novelty item
emphasises the playful, non-serious nature; more colloquial
- trifle
suggests something unimportant; more dismissive than whimsy
文法句型
whimsy + of + noun phrase
a whimsy
用法筆記
Countable in this sense. Often appears in the plural (whimsies). Carries a slightly dismissive tone when applied to art or literature — a 'mere whimsy' is not to be taken seriously. Can also be affectionate ('delightful whimsy').
常見錯誤
3. a sudden, unreasonable desire to do or have something, often for no clear reason
一時衝動
沒來由的突然念頭
a sudden, unreasonable desire to do or have something, often for no clear reason — similar to a whim but with a slightly more playful feel
On a whimsy, Yuna booked a flight to Reykjavik that same evening without checking the weather.
Yuna 一時興起，當天晚上就訂了飛往雷克雅維克的機票，連天氣都沒查。
pattern: 'on a whimsy' — adverb phrase meaning impulsively
It was just a whimsy — she dyed her hair mint green and regretted it by noon.
那只是一時衝動──她把頭髮染成薄荷綠，到中午就後悔了。
The statue was erected not by plan but by the mayor's sudden whimsy during a festival.
那座雕像是市長在慶典中突然心血來潮豎立的，並非出於規劃。
Farid left his job on a whimsy and spent six months biking across Southeast Asia.
Farid 一時興起辭掉工作，花了半年騎單車橫越東南亞。
- plan
whimsy is the opposite of a carefully considered decision
文法句型
whimsy + to + infinitive
on a whimsy
用法筆記
Less common than the synonym 'whim' in everyday speech. 'Whimsy' in this sense carries a slightly more literary or playful tone than 'whim'. Frequently used with the preposition 'on' ('on a whimsy'). Subject is typically a person or an authority figure.