shimmy

1 of 2

noun

shim·​my ˈshi-mē 

plural shimmies

1

[by alteration] : chemise

2

[short for shimmy-shake] : a jazz dance characterized by a shaking of the body from the shoulders down

3

: an abnormal vibration especially in the front wheels of a motor vehicle

shimmy

2 of 2

verb

shimmied; shimmying

intransitive verb

1

: to shake, quiver, or tremble in or as if in dancing a shimmy

2

: to vibrate abnormally

—used especially of automobiles

3

: shinny

Examples of shimmy in a Sentence

Verb

They were shimmying on the dance floor.

I shimmied into my jacket.

One of the car's wheels was shimmying.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Viral videos of the attack showed the lioness, Leona, lying next to the glass separating her from visitors, who gasp in shock as the teen shimmies down a tree. —CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025

Album artwork ends the video Swift shimmies onto a cart. —Bryan West, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025

Verb

Viral videos of the attack showed the lioness, Leona, lying next to the glass separating her from visitors, who gasp in shock as the teen shimmies down a tree. —CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025

In the end, those bonus points went to Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, who shimmied to a score for the night of 37/40. —Lars Brandle, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shimmy

• gimme
• jimmy
• synonymy