juggle
verb /ˈdʒʌɡl/
/ˈdʒʌɡl/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they juggle | /ˈdʒʌɡl/ /ˈdʒʌɡl/ |
he / she / it juggles | /ˈdʒʌɡlz/ /ˈdʒʌɡlz/ |
past simple juggled | /ˈdʒʌɡld/ /ˈdʒʌɡld/ |
past participle juggled | /ˈdʒʌɡld/ /ˈdʒʌɡld/ |
-ing form juggling | /ˈdʒʌɡlɪŋ/ /ˈdʒʌɡlɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to throw a set of three or more objects such as balls into the air and catch and throw them again quickly, one at a time, so as to keep at least one in the air at all times
- My uncle taught me to juggle.
- juggle with something to juggle with balls
- juggle something (figurative) I was juggling books, shopping bags and the baby (= I was trying to hold them all without dropping them).
- [transitive, intransitive] juggle (something) (with something) to try to deal with two or more important jobs or activities at the same time so that you can fit all of them into your life
- Working mothers are used to juggling their jobs, their children's needs and their housework.
- I’m sure I can juggle things around to fit you in.
- [transitive] juggle something to organize information, figures, the money you spend, etc. in the most useful or effective way
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘entertain with jesting, tricks, etc.’): back-formation from juggler, or from Old French jogler, from Latin joculari ‘to jest’, from joculus, diminutive of jocus ‘jest’. Current senses date from the late 19th cent.