Skip to main content
to jiggle

to jiggle

46 3.2
To move something in short, quick shaking movements
  • verb
  • /ˈdʒɪɡəl/
translation icon : menear
  • The way he was sitting, legs crossed, foot jiggling up and down, so impatient, turned my stomach.
  • jiggle the handle
  • slightly jiggle
  • barely jiggle

That gets it to go up, and I just jiggle it back and forth like this.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Come on, I saw you jiggle the handle.

  • I could feel them jiggle when I was walking and if I was walking down some stairs or trying to jog I could really feel them bouncing around.

  • That gets it to go up, and I just jiggle it back and forth like this.

  • You just have to lift, jiggle, and then pull.

  • Of course, within this average, some of the particles jiggle very fast, whereas others jiggle relatively slowly.

    Academic text (2004)
  • This is an exercise regime to get you on your feet, up and about, jiggling around.

  • With these screws removed, it's possible to slowly jiggle the drive back and forward to slowly remove it from the circuit board.

  • Molecules vibrate, these bonds move, molecules jiggle, molecules rotate.

  • They'll tap their foot, they'll jiggle their knees, they'll move their fingers.

  • I had to jiggle the key in the lock to get it to open.

Synonyms

to vibrate
vsto jiggle
91 2.8

To make very small, quick moves back and forth

tends to include non-physical vibrations like sounds or feelings
to wiggle
vsto jiggle
89 1.0

To move with small, quick movements from side to side or up and down

focuses on light rapid movement often in short repeated steps
to wriggle
vsto jiggle
28 3.7

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

involves simple short rapid shifts not necessarily twisting or escaping
to fidget
vsto jiggle
26 3.4

To make small nervous movements, often with hands or feet

refers instead to brief rapid motions without emotional restlessness
to bob
vsto jiggle
24 2.7

To move up and down quickly in short movements

is a broader term for similar short rapid small motions
to jitter
vsto jiggle
2 4.6

To shake or move quickly because you are nervous

lacks the specific nervous quality, focusing on neutral small rapid movement
to shimmy
vsto jiggle
1 7.4

To shake slightly with quick movements

is used for small shakings but often implies a trembling quality
to bobble
vsto jiggle
1 3.7

To move up and down quickly and lightly many times

describes the same light up and down moves but suggests instability
to joggle
vsto jiggle
7.7

To move something lightly and repeatedly so it shakes

is used for the same short rapid motions in general contexts
to wabble
vsto jiggle
8.9

To move unsteadily from side to side

is less regular and more unsteady than the light short repeated motions

Compounds

8.9

Movement in games or animation that makes soft parts like hair and clothes bounce

How Shaky

to shake
916 1.0
to jerk
217 2.0
tremble
23 2.7
to wobble
40 3.8
to jiggle
46 3.2
to quiver
47 4.5

Surface Forms

jiggle infinitive
jiggled past
jiggled past participle
jiggling present participle
jiggles third person singular

Morphology

jiggle = jig (semi-transparent) = jig + le

The form is related to the verb 'jig', but the frequentative suffix and the exact modern sense are only partly predictable.

Etymology

Jiggle comes from jig ('lively dance') with the ending -le that makes the action small or repeated, so to jiggle is to move in short, quick movements, like doing a little dance.