WordGarden.iowiggly
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /wˈɪɡli/
US
- /ˈwɪɡəli/
Meanings
Adjective
moving with lots of small quick twists or unable to stay still
having many small bends or curves rather than being straight
Beyond the definition
Think of a worm moving across the sidewalk in little bends and twists—that's wiggly! It describes something that does not stay still, but moves in a loose, twisty way. A baby learning to walk might have wiggly legs as they try to find their balance. It can also describe a person, especially a child who has trouble sitting still.
The word comes from the idea of making small, quick movements back and forth. You might see a wiggly tooth about to fall out, or a wiggly line drawn by a young artist. It is all about playful, unsteady motion.
"Wiggly" describes something that moves with a lot of curves, bends, and twists, rather than in a straight or steady way. Imagine a garden snake slithering through the grass; its movement is clearly wiggly. This word is not limited to movement alone, though.
You might describe a baby's first attempts at crawling as wiggly, full of excited but unsteady motions. A child who cannot sit still during story time could be described as having wiggly energy. The word can also describe shapes and small movements, like a wiggly line drawn by hand or a loose tooth that moves from side to side.
The word often gives a feeling of playfulness and instability. It suggests that something is not firmly fixed or fully under control. A loose tooth is often described as wiggly right before it falls out, and a puppy in a very excited mood might be so wiggly that it cannot keep still.
While wiggly can be used for many things, it is especially common when talking about children, animals, and small flexible things. It is a warm, playful word for motion or shape that is twisty, lively, and a little hard to control.
Examples
- 1
Drawing
He drew a wiggly line under the title.
- 2
Loose tooth
My front tooth feels wiggly this morning.
- 3
Restless child
The baby was too wiggly for me to put on his sweater.
- Patterntoo wiggly for + task
moving around too much for the task to be easy
- 4
Handwriting
Her handwriting gets wiggly when she's tired.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- wigglyadjective