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

Every Rayan Cherki drive into the box, every Jeremy Doku shimmy and dart, every menacing moment of intent from Haaland brings about an instant raising of our heart rates. —Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Elvis Presley In Concert from Neon shimmies onto 350 Imax screens for one week ahead of a national expansion. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026

Verb

Through choreography that feels more appropriate for the Silver Slipper than a wedding, Cassie shimmies up and down the dance floor with tears in her eyes as the attendees smile and cheer for the happy couple. —Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026

The trio then shimmied back on to stage, with Coughlan and Fallon embracing as the madcap segment came to an end, and the show cut to a sketch in which Coughlan sent up her film The Faraway Tree with an explicit rap for studio executives. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026

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