wiggle

1 of 2

verb

wig·​gle ˈwi-gəl How to pronounce wiggle (audio)
wiggled; wiggling ˈwi-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wiggle (audio)

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

wiggle

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act of wiggling
2
: shellfish or fish in cream sauce with peas
wiggly adjective

Examples of wiggle in a Sentence

Verb The puppy wiggled with excitement. the baby wiggled in her sleep
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
So warm up your leftovers, wiggle your scrolling fingers, top off your coffee, and assemble your brand-new glam game plan. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 22 Nov. 2023 During a dance sequence, there’s a close-up of elves wiggling their bottoms. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 Joining in, Browne put his hands behind his back and wiggled his fingers like tail feathers. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023 Part of that’s because Midnights is obviously a pop album, without songs that could wiggle into other fields like country. Vulture, 7 Nov. 2023 The trailer should securely attach to your bike without wiggling or coming loose. Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 16 Oct. 2023 Vivek Ramaswamy is trying to use his presidential campaign as an excuse to wiggle out of legal proceedings against him. Tori Otten, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2023 But knifefish are not the only ones that wiggle with purpose. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Oct. 2023 Just like the manual version of the same machine, this option sits tightly against the countertop and doesn’t bounce or wiggle while in use. Laura Denby, Peoplemag, 9 Oct. 2023
Noun
Understands our offense and has enough wiggle to keep the chains moving. Preps, al, 15 Sep. 2023 Stella, the family’s elderly dog, wiggles and weaves around my legs in greeting. Hazlitt, 27 Sep. 2023 This cross between a bottle plug and a darter darts from side to side while maintaining the tight, seductive wiggle of a bottle plug. Jimmy Fee, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023 Adding too much water, however, will hamper the plug’s wiggle. Jimmy Fee, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023 Henry, who also showed wiggle and burst in returning kickoffs and punts, caught two passes for 25 yards, including a one-handed 10-yard touchdown grab in mid-air in the fourth quarter. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 5 Sep. 2023 Zhao and colleagues are now trying to build a model to predict the wiggle effect. IEEE Spectrum, 21 July 2023 Each one of her tumbling passes was landed without a wiggle or a wobble. Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2023 Grid operators will need much faster frequency control strategies to overcome this wiggle effect and reduce instability, Zhao says. IEEE Spectrum, 21 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wiggle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiggle was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near wiggle

Cite this Entry

“Wiggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiggle. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

wiggle

verb
wig·​gle
ˈwig-əl
wiggled; wiggling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to move to and fro with quick jerky or shaking motions : jiggle
wiggled my toes
2
: to move along with twisting and turning movements : wriggle
wiggle noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wiggle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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