'Whimsy' Is The Word Of 2026 So Far. Here's How To Add It To Your Life

Depending on which dictionary you prefer, the word of the year in 2025 was either “rage bait”, “slop”, “vibe coding” or “parasocial”.

And if you ask me, “whimsy” is already a major contender for the word of 2026. 

The term is all over my social media, after all. “I’m deeming 2026 the year of whimsy,” one TikToker said, “we are bringing back analogue and all the joy and playfulness this year”.

“Whismy is a superpower,” a recent X post shared; while another reads, “I love to be full of whimsy and sillyness [sic], I love to be full of laughter [and] love so bright anything else can’t even reach me.”

So what is whimsy, and how can you add it to your life?

So, what’s “whimsy”? 

Well, if you consult Merriam-Webster, it’s “the quality or state of being whimsical or fanciful” or “a fanciful or fantastic device, object, or creation especially in writing or art”. 

In the social media posts I’ve seen, it seems to involve a light-hearted, “go with the flow” sort of self-gratifying openness, especially to experiences and things that don’t centre on being traditionally productive or optimised. 

Sometimes, this involves a “girly”, sparkly, “pretty for pretty’s sake” aesthetic: Zara Laarson’s dolphin meme-themed Midnight Sun tour springs to mind.

Whimsy follows other rules, too. It is not prescribed, not strictly “useful”, and not routine. It’s done according to the unpredictable demands – whims – of an individual.

Perhaps, astrologer Michel Liu suggested on X, it’s a way to “cope with the nihilism of the modern age”.

“In some ways, knowing everything about the universe, down to its calculations, has harmed us equally as much as it has helped us. Without a level of mystery, we lose meaning,” they wrote.

How can I add more whimsy to my life?

If you ask Redditors, it’s basically about incorporating your more fun intrusive thoughts into your day-to-day life. 

“I tell the shredder at work, ‘Good job, buddy!’ every time I use it,” one poster wrote. 

“Depending on my mood, I’ll give bugs a name [and] provide an entire backstory about them. ‘This is Frank. He’s an accountant by day [and] likes to wear a bow tie for formal occasions. His wife left him, so he’s not in a great place right now, but Frank is still attempting to live his best beetle life,’” another added.

More suggestions included eating dinner with candlelight or fairy lights, using the “fancy” dishes on a random weekday, and cleaning the house to “epic” instrumental music.

The point, it seems, is to transform everyday tasks and mundane routines into a fun exercise in free will and caprice. 

Now that’s a sentiment I can get behind...