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

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

Yet one place that Merlin is allowed is inside Mexican leader Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidential palace, waddling onto stage on Monday morning for her daily briefing. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 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