Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense wiggles, present participle wiggling, past tense, past participle wiggled
verb
If you wiggle something or if it wiggles, it moves up and down or from side to side in small quick movements.
She wiggled her finger. [VERB noun]
His ears wiggled if you scratched his chin. [VERB]
Your baby will try to shuffle or wiggle along the floor. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Wiggle is also a noun.
...a wiggle of the hips. [+ of]
More Synonyms of wiggle
wiggle in British English
(ˈwɪɡəl)
verb
1.
to move or cause to move with jerky movements, esp from side to side
noun
2.
the act or an instance of wiggling
3. get a wiggle on
Derived forms
wiggler (ˈwiggler)
noun
wiggly (ˈwiggly)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch wiggelen
wiggle in American English
(ˈwɪgəl)
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈwiggled or ˈwiggling
1.
to move or cause to move with short, jerky or twisting motions from side to side; wriggle shakily or sinuously
noun
2.
the act or an instance of wiggling
Word origin
ME wigelen, prob. < MDu & MLowG wiggelen, freq. of wiggen, to move from side to side, akin to OE wegan, to move: for IE base see wag1
Examples of 'wiggle' in a sentence
wiggle
Yet technology will leave little wiggle room in this case.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Nor is it about wowing them with your capped teeth or that pelvic wiggle.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
As a result they have little wiggle room and tend to dismiss staff instead of reducing the bonus pot.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Give yourself a little wiggle room.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Who doesn't love a wiggle dress?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Universities have had little wiggle room, over fees or numbers.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
For example, light may wiggle around so much that it returns to the same place.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Regardless of debt restrictions, some may take advantage of a little budgetary wiggle room to take a trip or improve the home.
Christianity Today (2000)
She was asked to count, wiggle her fingers and identify pictures, as the tumour was removed.
The Sun (2011)
The company has been saying that its exposure to the economic downturn is minor, but despite all the impressive numbers there is very little wiggle room.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I'll put some numb stuff in their gums and wiggle it around so it doesn't hurt.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The car turned in neatly enough, the back end followed with a little wiggle and the big V8 block pulled strongly out of it.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
wiggle
British English: wiggle VERB
If you wiggle something or if it wiggles, it moves up and down or from side to side in small quick movements.
She wiggled her finger.
American English: wiggle
Brazilian Portuguese: menear
Chinese: 摆动
European Spanish: menear
French: remuer
German: wackeln mit
Italian: agitare
Japanese: ぴくぴく動かす/ぴくぴく動く
Korean: 위 아래 또는 좌우로 움직이다
European Portuguese: menear
Latin American Spanish: menear
Chinese translation of 'wiggle'
wiggle
(ˈwɪɡl)
vt, vi
扭动(動) (niǔdòng)
n(c)
扭动(動) (niǔdòng)
1 (verb)
Definition
to move with jerky movements from side to side or up and down
She wiggled her fingers to attract his attention.
Synonyms
jerk
The car jerked to a halt.
shake
Shake the rugs well and hang them out.
twitch
wag
He wagged a disapproving finger at me.
jiggle
He tapped his feet, hummed tunes and jiggled about.
waggle
He was waggling his toes in his socks.
2 (verb)
Definition
to move with jerky movements from side to side or up and down
A little worm was wiggling on the pavement.
Synonyms
squirm
He gave a feeble shrug and tried to squirm free.
twitch
His left eyelid twitched involuntarily.
writhe
He was writhing on the floor in agony.
shimmy
(noun)
Definition
a wiggling movement or walk
Push the fork in with your foot and give it a wiggle to make the holes bigger.
Synonyms
jerk
She gave the dog's lead a jerk.
shake
blurring of photos caused by camera shake
twitch
He developed a nervous twitch.
wag
The dog gave a responsive wag of his tail.
squirm
writhe
jiggle
waggle
shimmy
Additional synonyms
in the sense of jiggle
Definition
to move with quick jerky movements
He tapped his feet, hummed tunes and jiggled about.
Synonyms
jerk,
bounce,
jog,
fidget,
shake,
twitch,
wiggle,
jig,
shimmy,
joggle
in the sense of shake
Definition
to move up and down or back and forth with short quick movements
Shake the rugs well and hang them out.
Synonyms
jiggle,
agitate,
wave,
joggle
in the sense of shake
Definition
a tremor or vibration
blurring of photos caused by camera shake
Synonyms
vibration,
trembling,
quaking,
shock,
jar,
disturbance,
jerk,
shiver,
shudder,
jolt,
tremor,
agitation,
convulsion,
pulsation,
jounce
Nearby words of
wiggle
wield
wife
wigeon
wiggle
wild
wilderness
wildlife
Synonyms of 'wiggle'
wiggle
Explore 'wiggle' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of twitch
Definition
(of a person or part of a person's body) to move in a jerky spasmodic way
His left eyelid twitched involuntarily.
Synonyms
jerk,
blink,
flutter,
jump,
squirm
in the sense of twitch
Definition
a sharp jerking movement, esp. one caused by a nervous condition
He developed a nervous twitch.
Synonyms
jerk,
tic,
spasm,
twinge,
jump,
blink,
flutter,
tremor
in the sense of wag
Definition
to move rapidly and repeatedly from side to side or up and down