Whiz means to move very quickly with a rushing or buzzing sound. A baseball might whiz past your head so fast you barely see it. Race cars whiz around the track at incredible speeds. An arrow whizzes through the air toward its target.

The word captures both the speed and the sound of something moving fast. When you hear that sharp “whizz” noise, you know something just shot past you in a blur.

People also use whiz to describe someone who's exceptionally skilled at something. A math whiz solves complex problems easily and quickly. A computer whiz understands technology better than most people. Unlike words like “expert” or “specialist,” calling someone a whiz suggests they make difficult things look effortless. They don't just know their subject, they seem to fly through it.

The phrase gee whiz expresses surprise or amazement, like when you see something unexpectedly impressive: “Gee whiz, that's the biggest pumpkin I've ever seen!”