whale

1 of 3

noun

ˈ(h)wāl How to pronounce whale (audio)
plural whales
Synonyms of whalenext
often attributive
1
or plural whale : any of various very large, aquatic, marine mammals (order Cetacea) that have a torpedo-shaped body with a thick layer of blubber, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, a horizontally flattened tail, and nostrils that open externally at the top of the head
also : cetacean see baleen whale, toothed whale
2
: one that is impressive especially in size
a whale of a difference
a whale of a good time
whalelike
ˈ(h)wāl-ˌlīk How to pronounce whale (audio)
adjective

whale

2 of 3

verb (1)

whaled; whaling

intransitive verb

: to engage in whale fishing

whale

3 of 3

verb (2)

whaled; whaling

transitive verb

1
: lash, thrash
2
: to strike or hit vigorously
3
: to defeat soundly

Synonyms of whale

Relevance

Noun

Verb (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of whale in a Sentence

Noun a whale of a pickup truck Verb (2) whaled the ball so hard that it sailed over the fence and into the neighbor's yard whaled the rug with a broom to knock the dirt out of it mercilessly whaled the pickpocket for stealing from her purse
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Across most of the animal kingdom bigger animals outlive smaller ones, part of why whales tend to outlast rodents. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026 Stomach Bile In one sequence of the film, Jay finds himself in the whale’s stomach bile. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026 Yet Abrams still won’t kvetch about being crammed into a tiny whale-stomach set with a camera crew, while a half-dozen crew members surrounding the practical gut, wielding a gimbal, tossed him around like a wet rag doll. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 One whale metaphor that lands quite nicely is how the sperm whale calls out for help when in distress, which inspires a Hail Mary plan in Jay’s fight for freedom from the belly of the beast. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whale

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hwæl; akin to Old High German hwal whale and perhaps to Latin squalus sea fish

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1700, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whale was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing whale

Rhymes for whale

See All Rhymes for whale

Browse Nearby Words

whakapapa
whale
whale's-tongue
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whale. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

whale

1 of 3 noun
ˈhwā(ə)l How to pronounce whale (audio)
ˈwā(ə)l
plural whales or whale
1
: a water-dwelling mammal (as a humpback whale or a killer whale) that is a cetacean of usually very large size with a torpedo-shaped body, front limbs modified into flippers but no hind limbs, and a tail flattened and extended to the sides as flukes and that usually breathes through an opening on top of the head compare baleen whale, toothed whale
2
: something large enough to catch attention
it made a whale of a difference

whale

2 of 3 verb
whaled; whaling
: to hunt whales

whale

3 of 3 verb
whaled; whaling
1
: thrash sense 2a
2
: to hit hard
whaled the ball
Etymology

Noun

Old English hwæl "whale"

Verb

origin unknown

More from Merriam-Webster on whale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whale

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