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💃 A lively dance 💃 To dance quickly 🎣 A fishing lure 🛠️ A guiding device
to jig

to jig

2 6.4
To dance quickly with short jumps and kicks
  • verb
  • /dʒɪg/
translation icon : bailar la giga
  • Let's jig a little, mamacita.
  • Then he jigs

Examples

  • They would just jig up and down like marionettes.

    Cinderella (2000)

  • Make you want to jig-a-jig.

    Tai-Pan (1986)

  • Coming from someone who thinks it's cool to jig up and down really fast on the spot...

    Happy Feet (2006)

  • You jig, you amble, you lisp.

    Hamlet (1948)

  • Learning to jig and reel, as well as the traditional Irish step dancers in "Riverdance," doesn't happen overnight.

    Blog text (9)

  • At the wedding, everyone started to jig to the lively music played by the band.

  • Children love to jig around during the folk festival when the traditional songs play.

  • As the tunes filled the room, guests began to jig joyfully on the dance floor.

Synonyms

to dance
vsto jig
579 1.0

To move quickly and lightly from side to side or up and down

is a specific lively form with quick leaping and kicking motions
to boogie
vsto jig
  • Informal
28 7.5

Dance energetically to lively upbeat music

uses more leaping and kicking and traditional tunes
to shag
vsto jig
  • Archaic
16 8.9

To dance a lively swing step with quick hops

has stronger jumping and kicking movements and folk music roots
to shimmy
vsto jig
10 7.7

To shake the body quickly from side to side as a dance move

uses full body leaps and pointed kicking actions instead of shaking
to jive
vsto jig
7 7.6

To dance in a lively, energetic way to jazz or swing music

focuses more on quick leaping and kicking to traditional music
to get jiggy
vsto jig
  • Slang
3 9.9

To dance in a lively, playful way

is more rooted in traditional leaping and kicking movements
to jitterbug
vsto jig
  • Archaic
2 8.7

To dance quickly with jerky movements to swing music

is solo or duo dancing with more leaping and kicking emphasis
to jigg
vsto jig
  • Informal
1 9.9

To move your body quickly to lively club music

is the classic version stressing quick leaps and kicking motions
to foxtrot
vsto jig
1 7.4

To dance in a smooth ballroom style with slow and quick steps

is faster, more leaping and kicking, and tied to folk music
to woogie
vsto jig
  • Informal
1 9.9

To dance in a joyful, energetic way

involves defined quick leaps and kicking to traditional music
to jive to the rhythm
vsto jig
  • Informal
7.5

Dance quickly and happily to the beat of music

stresses specific leaping and kicking movements linked to tradition
to dance the Lindy
vsto jig
8.3

To do a lively swing dance with a partner called the Lindy Hop

focuses more on short kicks and tradition based leaping motions

Idioms

the jig is up
  • Informal
1 9.5

Their plan to trick people is discovered so they cannot continue

to dance the hempen jig
  • Offensive
9.9

To be hanged by the neck until dead

in jig time
  • Archaic
7.9

In a very short time

Compounds

hempen jig
  • NSFW
9.9

A joking phrase for being hanged as punishment

How Energetic

to cavort
12 7.7
to jig
2 6.4
to skip
77 1.0
to dance
∞ 1.0
to move
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

jig infinitive
jigged past
jigged past participle
jigging present participle
jigs third person singular

Etymology

Jig as a verb comes from the dance name and older words meaning 'to move quickly', and a helpful way to remember it is to think of the word jiggle for small, quick moves. So to jig is to dance or move with quick, leaping steps.