whaling

1 of 2

noun

whal·​ing ˈ(h)wā-liŋ How to pronounce whaling (audio)
Synonyms of whalingnext
: the occupation of catching and extracting commercial products from whales

whaling

2 of 2

present participle of whale entry 2, whale entry 3

Examples of whaling 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.
Noun
Along with Norway and Japan, Iceland is one of the only countries still practicing commercial whaling. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026 The backstory Portuguese whaling crews once launched their boats from the beach on the property. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026 Like Portugal and Brazil, whaling and related industries brought a sizable population of immigrants from Cape Verde to southeastern New England. — Jesus Jiménez, New York Times, 30 June 2026 Their protagonists tend to be runaways—men who join whaling expeditions in their haste to dodge the malaise that sets in on shore, boys who board rafts floating down the Mississippi to evade their guardians and their chores. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for whaling

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whaling was in 1688

Phrases Containing whaling

Rhymes for whaling

See All Rhymes for whaling

Browse Nearby Words

whale watch
whaling
whaling gun
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whaling. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on whaling

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for whaling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whaling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

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?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All