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
shimmied; shimmying
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
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Each shimmy of his hips drew shrieks from female fans.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Things that may shimmy and shake, but things nonetheless, not ideological assertions.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shimmy
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
Dressed in a black hat, black bell-bottoms, and a jacket with turquoise accents, the Louisiana country singer gave a soulful, twangy reading of the riverboat tale, effortlessly commanding the crowd with just a few shimmies and finger points.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Each shimmy of his hips drew shrieks from female fans.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
That’s when Rannells slips on a clown mask and starts to shimmy.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Things that may shimmy and shake, but things nonetheless, not ideological assertions.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shimmy
Cite this Entry
“Shimmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shimmy. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share