What does whizzed mean?
Whizzed is the past tense and past participle of the informal verb whizz, used especially to describe something moving very quickly. A train whizzed through the station; a bullet whizzed past. In this sense, it often suggests a brief, swift, almost blurred passage. Whizzed can also refer to a sharp buzzing or hissing noise, as when a fly whizzed around a room, although speed is usually the more familiar sense. The word has an energetic, conversational tone and is especially common in British English, while remaining readily understood in American English. It is useful when the exact speed is unimportant but the impression of immediacy or momentum is central. Although whizzed is a simple inflection of whizz, it is memorable because it evokes both motion and sound: something can whizz through space, and that movement can itself produce a characteristic noise.
verbMoved very quickly, especially in a way that seemed sudden or blurred. It can also describe making a sharp, buzzing or hissing sound.
- Moved very quickly or suddenly.
- Made a sharp buzzing, hissing, or whirring sound.
"The express train whizzed through the station before the passengers could react."
"The bullet whizzed past his head and struck the wall behind him."
"A large insect whizzed around the porch, sounding like a tiny motor."
Whizzed does double duty: it can describe motion fast enough to blur and the sharp sound accompanying that motion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Related word forms
How whizzed is actually used
Informal and vivid, with an energetic, conversational tone. It is especially common in British English, while the verb and its double-z spelling are also understood in American English. The sound sense is less frequent than the speed sense.
Easily confused with whizzed
Whiz is also a one-z spelling of the verb, but it is used more often as a noun for an exceptionally skilled person.