dervish

noun

der·vish ˈdər-vish

: a member of a Muslim religious order noted for devotional exercises (such as bodily movements leading to a trance)

: one that whirls or dances with or as if with the abandonment of a dervish

Examples of dervish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Admittedly, on its best day, Penn Station feels like a whirling dervish. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 May 2026 Dru Smith remains a whirling dervish on defense, delivering three more steals. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025 There were belly-dancing and aerial performances and at midnight, Sufi dervishes performed an ecstatic whirling dance. — Lizz Schumer, People.com, 7 July 2025 In Rosenblatt’s script and Lithgow’s dazzling performance, Dahl is a kind of dervish of disdain, who projects his repressed fury onto others. — John Lahr, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dervish

Word History

Etymology

Turkish derviş, literally, beggar, from Persian darvīsh

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of dervish was circa 1550

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

Deruta

dervish

dervishhood

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dervish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dervish. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dervish

noun

der·vish ˈdər-vish

: a member of a Muslim religious group noted for its customs (as bodily movements leading to a trance)

dervish

noun

Examples of dervish in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on dervish

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes