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Synonyms

jiggle

American  
[jig-uhl] / ˈdʒɪg əl /

verb (used with or without object)

jiggled, jiggling

  1. to move up and down or to and fro with short, quick jerks.

noun

  1. a jiggling movement.

jiggle British  
/ ˈdʒɪɡəl /

verb

  1. to move or cause to move up and down or to and fro with a short jerky motion

    to jiggle the door handle
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a short jerky motion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • jiggler noun
  • jiggly adjective

Etymology

Origin of jiggle

First recorded in 1835–40; jig 2 + -le

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My old heart started turning somersaults; and something that felt like a thousand-legged centipede jiggled its way up my spine.

From Literature

The miller laughed and his big belly jiggled.

From Literature

In an AI era when attackers can jiggle every virtual doorknob continuously, human defenders don’t stand a chance.

From The Wall Street Journal

More than 50 different songs appear, sometimes impatiently cast aside by Mr. Luhrmann so he can jiggle and rotate his kaleidoscope again.

From The Wall Street Journal

She jiggled the glass, caught the sun, and dazzling light danced around and around on the silken door.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.