whim
n.a sudden wish or idea to do something, especially when there is no important reason for it. You use this when someone acts quickly without planning ahead.
n.a sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained. Often implies a lack of serious motive or deliberation.
“She bought the expensive dress on a whim.”
“The company's direction seemed to change at the whim of the CEO rather than following a long-term strategy.”
“While some travelers plan every minute of their itinerary, others prefer the freedom of traveling on a whim, allowing local recommendations to dictate their next destination.”
Frequently used in the prepositional phrase 'on a whim' or following 'at the' ('at the whim of').
“The signing was not done on a whim.”
Clipping of whim-wham.
Compare whimbrel.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.