verb
-
to move with a wriggling motion; writhe
-
to feel deep mental discomfort, guilt, embarrassment, etc
noun
Other Word Forms
- squirmer noun
- squirming adjective
- squirmingly adverb
- unsquirming adjective
Etymology
Origin of squirm
First recorded in 1685–95; of expressive origin, perhaps echoing worm
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.
With Rowdy behind me, we got down on our stomachs, squirmed back under the brush, and dropped down in the hole.
From Literature
My bindings only tightened with my squirming, and the trolls were now packed in a circle around me.
From Literature
The more George dotes on her, the more she tries to squirm free from the prison that has been prepared for her.
From Los Angeles Times
I try to squirm away from my sister’s grasp, but her fingers sink into my skin like talons.
From Literature
The conditions were near farcical, the ball frequently squirming through fingers and set-pieces a mess, with Scotland making the lion's share of blunders.
From BBC
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.
