wiggle

verb wig·gle \ ˈwi-gəl \

Definition of wiggle

wiggled; wiggling play \ˈwi-g(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to move to and fro with quick jerky or shaking motions :jiggle

2 :to proceed with or as if with twisting and turning movements :wriggle

transitive verb

:to cause to wiggle

See wiggle defined for English-language learners

See wiggle defined for kids

Examples of wiggle in a Sentence

The puppy wiggled with excitement.
the baby wiggled in her sleep

Recent Examples of wiggle from the Web

But their victory was upended when a pardon by his most powerful political ally — President Donald Trump — allowed Arpaio to wiggle out of legal jeopardy again.

— jacques billeaud, chicagotribune.com, "With Trump pardon, Arpaio again wiggles out of legal trouble," 27 Aug. 2017
The Tick, a goofy, bright blue superhero with a pair of suggestively wiggling antennas, is as difficult to eradicate as his Lyme-disease-carrying namesake.

— mike hale, New York Times, "Review: A New ‘Tick’ on Amazon, Not Like the Old ‘Tick’," 24 Aug. 2017
The stylist drenches the tape bonds in a solute that loosens the adhesive, then gently wiggles the extensions off.

— lindsay colameo, Allure, "The 10 Best Tape-In Hair Extensions & Why They Work for Everyone," 13 July 2017
Again, Wray tried to wiggle his way out of answering.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "FBI Director Nominee Says He Wasn’t Asked For Loyalty and Wouldn’t Give It If He Was," 12 July 2017
The old Volkswagen Kombi is covered in colors and symbols that span ages, continents and astral planes: a sphinx, an eagle, stars and moons, writhing flames and wiggling waves, the Aquarius zodiac sign and the 10 incarnations of Vishnu.

— danielle ohl, baltimoresun.com, "Bus trip: A local artist and documentary crew are hunting for a Woodstock icon," 7 July 2017
Absorbed in a fragile trance, Allen studies a knot of tadpoles wiggling in a marshy puddle.

— Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 28 June 2017
So, perhaps these videos can serve as a safer source of satisfaction than wiggling a Q tip around in your ear canal.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Earwax Extraction Videos Are Going Viral Now," 23 June 2017
For stubborn air pockets, use a chopstick to wiggle them free.

— debbie arrington, sacbee.com, "It’s brine time; how to make your own flavorful pickles from local produce," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wiggle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wiggle

Middle English wiglen, from or akin to Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wiggelen to totter; akin to Old English wegan to move — more at way

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

wiggle Synonyms

Synonyms

fiddle, jerk, jig, jiggle, squiggle, squirm, thrash, thresh, toss, twist, twitch, fidget, wriggle, writhe

Related Words

flit, flutter, twitter; quake, quiver, shake, shiver, shudder, tremble; pace

Near Antonyms

relax, rest, unwind; calm (down), still

wiggle

noun

Definition of wiggle

1 :the act of wiggling

2 :shellfish or fish in cream sauce with peas

—

wiggly

play \ˈwi-g(ə-)lē\ adjective

Recent Examples of wiggle from the Web

There isn’t any sympathy or much wiggle room in the NFC East. 3.

— david humphrey, star-telegram, "A team-by-team preview of the 2017 NFL season," 25 Aug. 2017
According to Dr. James Grifo, the director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at NYU Langone Health, that’s because there simply isn’t much wiggle room with cost.

— charlotte cowles, The Cut, "Is Freezing My Eggs Worth the Cost?," 10 Aug. 2017
For the tech savvy or truly determined, experts say, China often tolerated a bit of wiggle room, leading to online users’ playing a cat-and-mouse game with censors for more than a decade.

— paul mozur, New York Times, "China’s Internet Censors Play a Tougher Game of Cat and Mouse," 3 Aug. 2017
Fannie’s and Freddie’s average DTIs look strict, but there’s actually more wiggle room for mortgage applicants this summer than any time in recent years.

— kenneth r. harney, miamiherald, "Think you won’t qualify for a mortgage? Don’t give up too easily," 24 July 2017
Beijing's more modest growth target of around 6.5% for 2017 theoretically offers more wiggle room for reforms after the economy grew 6.7% in 2016 - the weakest pace in 26 years.

— reuters, Fortune, "China’s Second-Quarter GDP Defies Fears of a Slowdown With 6.9% Growth," 13 July 2017
The Reds began the day with $42,400 of wiggle room to play with over the slot suggestion for the No. 2 pick.

— zach buchanan, The Courier-Journal, "Reds sign top pick Hunter Greene," 7 July 2017
There wasn’t even any wiggle room to imagine the specific story moving forward without me in some fan-fictional future.

— steven strom, Ars Technica, "Persona 3’s ending made me appreciate all of life’s little endings," 24 June 2017
Martin, 36, plays a key role on the Sharks’ blue line as the Burns whisperer, but with depth on the backend, the Sharks can afford to lose him knowing that his salary could give them some wiggle room in free agency.

— paul gackle, The Mercury News, "Sharks will expose key veterans in NHL’s Expansion Draft," 18 June 2017