zig
Americanverb (used without object)
Usage
What does zig mean? Zig is an informal verb that means to move in one of the directions in a zigzag pattern.A zigzag is a line of alternating, sharp up-and-down turns that form peaks and valleys kind of resembling the letter Z. Zigzag can also be used as a verb meaning to move back and forth while traveling forward in a way that resembles this pattern.The word zag can be used to mean the same thing as zig. However, the two terms are typically used together, in which case they mean to move in opposite directions. This is usually used in a somewhat humorous way.Zig and zag are most commonly used in the context of physical movement, but they are sometimes used in situations in which people keep doing different things, such as when changing their minds back and forth.Example: I threw the ball where I said I was going to throw it, but you zigged when you should have zagged!
Etymology
Origin of zig
First recorded in 1785–95; extracted from zigzag
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.
Which sort of helps prove the point that energy zigs when everything else zags.
From MarketWatch
As the sun sets across the city, on every rooftop we can see families and friends, laughing, shouting, watching as kites zig zag, circle, and soar through the city's skies.
From BBC
It’s difficult to see how bitcoin could be a good substitute for gold if it often zigs when gold zags, and vice versa.
From MarketWatch
"This is not about somebody coming out, it's about two people figuring out they are allowed to be in love. And that zig where the other books zag really stuck with me."
From BBC
Analysts say that developing “emerging” markets, and even less-developed “frontier” markets, can often — in small doses — add real value to an investment portfolio, not least because they might zig when the developed world is zagging.
From MarketWatch
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.
