Whoosh is the sound of something moving fast through the air. You hear it when a car speeds past you on the street, when a basketball swishes by your ear, or when wind rushes through tree branches during a storm.

The word captures that swift, airy sound perfectly: whoosh sounds like what it describes. When a superhero flies overhead in a movie, you hear that characteristic whoosh as they zip past. When you swing a baseball bat hard during practice, it makes a satisfying whoosh through the air.

People also use whoosh to describe the feeling of something happening quickly or suddenly. You might say time went whooshing by during a fun afternoon with friends, or that a difficult week whooshed past in a blur. When information goes over someone's head because they don't understand it, you might hear someone say “whoosh” while moving their hand over their forehead to show the idea flying past.

The word works as a verb too. A strong gust of wind can whoosh through an open window, or leaves can whoosh across the playground on a breezy autumn day.