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to wiggle

to wiggle

89 1.0
To move with small, quick movements from side to side or up and down
  • verb
  • /ˈwɪɡəl/
translation icon : menear
  • The students are easily distracted, and they wiggle a lot during lessons.

So yeah, I'm just going to kind of pat and slightly wiggle that in my crease.

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Examples

  • Mr. Kramer, can you please wiggle your fingers?

  • To get the toy out from under the couch, he had to wiggle it back and forth.

  • If you can just wiggle, wiggle up, wiggle, wiggle up.

  • All right, we're just going to wiggle this on through.

  • Just going to try to wiggle it through a little bit more.

  • We gotta wiggle it a little bit.

  • I wonder if anybody in the audience can wiggle their ears.

  • Wiggle your ears, wiggle your ears.

  • When she was finished, she dropped her arms, then wiggled out of the shirt.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Dropping to her stomach, she wiggled forward to see what was happening beyond the barrier.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

to vibrate
vsto wiggle
91 2.8

To make very small, quick moves back and forth

is similar but usually describes visible small sideways or vertical moves
to twitch
vsto wiggle
66 2.8

To make a sudden small movement you cannot control, especially of a body part

is gentler and usually intentional small quick side to side or up and down motion
to jiggle
vsto wiggle
46 3.2

To move something in short, quick shaking movements

is the same idea but often with simpler side to side emphasis
to wobble
vsto wiggle
40 3.8

To move or shake unsteadily from side to side

is steadier and more regular small quick movement rather than unsteady
to flutter
vsto wiggle
35 3.5

To move quickly and lightly back and forth, like wings or leaves

is a small bodily motion rather than a light fluttering action
to wag
vsto wiggle
32 1.4

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

is similar but generally used for smaller, subtler personal movements
to wriggle
vsto wiggle
28 3.7

To twist and turn the body with small quick movements to get free

is the simpler small side to side or up and down movement
to fidget
vsto wiggle
26 3.4

To make small nervous movements, often with hands or feet

is similar in size but not tied mainly to nervous or impatient cause
squirm
vsto wiggle
4 4.1

A small twisting movement of the body that shows discomfort or nervousness

is less about discomfort and more about small quick directional motion
to jitter
vsto wiggle
2 4.6

To shake or move quickly because you are nervous

is similar speedwise but is not primarily nervous or jerky
to shimmy
vsto wiggle
1 7.4

To shake slightly with quick movements

is a clear small motion rather than a trembling or shaking effect
to bobble
vsto wiggle
1 3.7

To move up and down quickly and lightly many times

is broader, covering small sideways or up and down motions not bouncing
twiddle
vsto wiggle
1 6.1

A small repeated finger movement made when nervous or thinking

is used for small whole body or object movements, not idle fiddling
wriggling
vsto wiggle
3.4

Moving with small twisting and squirming movements like a worm

is similar but focuses on simple lateral or vertical small motions
to joggle
vsto wiggle
7.7

To move something lightly and repeatedly so it shakes

is about small bodily movements rather than shaking objects
jittering
vsto wiggle
6.0

Small quick movements of a person or thing often from being nervous

is steadier small quick motion rather than varied restless shaking

Phrasal Verbs

to wiggle out of
  • Informal
2 7.0

Avoid a duty or problem by making excuses

Compounds

wiggle room
  • Informal
21 4.1

Some freedom to change plans when needed

wiggle worm
  • Baby Talk
1 7.5

A person, especially a child, who cannot sit still and keeps moving

wiggle nail
  • Specialized
9.6

A thin metal strip with sharp points that you hammer to join wooden boards

How Vigorous

to flail
38 5.8
to shake
916 1.0
to jerk
217 2.0
to wriggle
28 3.7
to wiggle
89 1.0
to twitch
66 2.8
jiggle
7 3.9

Surface Forms

wiggle infinitive
wiggling present participle
wiggles third person singular
waggled past
waggled past participle

Etymology

Wiggle began as a simple word that copies the sound of a small movement and is like the word wriggle. So, to wiggle is to make small, quick movements 'from side to side or up and down'.