wiggle

1 of 2

verb

wig·​gle ˈwi-gəl 

wiggled; wiggling 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

wiggle

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act of wiggling

2

: shellfish or fish in cream sauce with peas

wiggly

ˈwi-g(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

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

Examples of wiggle in a Sentence

Verb

The puppy wiggled with excitement.

the baby wiggled in her sleep

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Warm Water: If debris or minor obstructions are causing the problem, soaking the stuck zipper in warm water can help expand the fabric and loosen it the jam. Pliers: Carefully using pliers to grip and gently wiggle the zipper pull can sometimes help release it from its stuck position. —Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024

Roast for 2½ to 3 hours, until a leg easily wiggles out of its socket and the potatoes are tender. —Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024

Rose shared a video of the same moment on her Instagram, showing the three wiggling around for a Reel in the same spot. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

Munn then lifts him into the air and kisses him, wiggling his body around. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

Renewable energy now wiggles its way around via pipes cleverly hidden in the eaves. —Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024

Overnight, the worms in the samples wiggled to the bottom and collected in the water. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024

In a clip shared on X, the royal wiggled the oversized daffodil wreath a little girl wore around her neck and patted her on the head. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024

But at the same time, Nicki wants to wiggle her way in bad. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2024

Noun

Developers tell me apps can get access to a stream of data about users’ movement, right down to the wiggle of a finger. —Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2024

This year, Queen Bey invited the world to come together to release the wiggle in the disco-ball reflection of her record-breaking Renaissance World Tour and its subsequent documentary. —EW.com, 14 Dec. 2023

Here are a few classics that will definitely help get the wiggles out: Truth or Dare What's a slumber party without a thrilling game of Truth or Dare? —Laura Fenton, Parents, 6 Oct. 2023

Tangent Vector/Porsche Give it a good wiggle in the middle before slotting it into gear. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 3 Oct. 2023

This results in a curve with many wiggles that can only be pinned down by looking at many points. —Michael Greshko, Quanta Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024

There was no synchromesh on the 356's gears, so a leisurely wiggle of the lever while in neutral was required for a smooth shift, but even a Heffalump like me could get that right. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 3 Oct. 2023

This gentle wiggle at slow speed drove big bass wild, quickly making a black Long A a must-have for late-night surf pursuits. —Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024

Detailed wiggles in waves at future observatories might even offer hints about whether the immediate product was a magnetar or a black hole. —Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023

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

Phrases Containing wiggle

• wiggle room

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