waddle

1 of 2

verb

wad·​dle ˈwä-dᵊl 

waddled; waddling

ˈwäd-liŋ, 

ˈwä-dᵊl-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to walk with short steps swinging the forepart of the body from side to side

2

: to move clumsily in a manner suggesting a waddle

waddler

ˈwäd-lər, 

ˈwä-dᵊl-ər 

noun

waddle

2 of 2

noun

: an awkward clumsy swaying gait

Synonyms of waddle

Verb

• stagger
• lurch
• weave
• totter
• shuffle

Examples of waddle in a Sentence

Verb

He waddled down the hallway.

A fat goose waddled across the yard.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Dodgers two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani waddled through the clubhouse after the Dodgers’ 4-3 comeback victory against the Padres on Friday night, the bulging ice wraps around his left knee and right arm creating a penguin-like effect to his gait. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Inside the house, a plastic bin in the TV room held a striped emu chick, waddling under a heat lamp. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Noun

Merlin, a 2-year-old duck, has taken the internet by storm, captivating fans with his tiny form-fitting Team Mexico jersey and confident waddle around his home of Mexico City. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026

Game play involves collecting runs and three-of-a-kind sets of cards, known as waddles. — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

frequentative of wade

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1691, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for waddle

• caudal
• caudle
• dawdle
• model
• twaddle
• remodel

Kids Definition

waddle

1 of 2 verb

wad·​dle ˈwäd-ᵊl 

waddled; waddling ˈwäd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to walk with short steps swaying from side to side

ducks waddling to the water

2

: to move slowly and awkwardly

the big boat waddled upstream

waddler

-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun

waddle

2 of 2 noun

: an awkward swaying walk