waddle

Meaning

Noun

A squat, swaying gait.

Verb

1. To walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side.
2. To move slowly.

Synonyms

totter

toddle

wobble

dodder

coggle

paddle

toddle along

waddle along

sway about

sway

rock

🪨

wiggle

swagger

swaying

teeter

wabble

wag

waggle

walk

🚶

wave

👋

wigwag

trace a zigzag course

flip tail

be tardy

bob

take short

dangling

hobble

limp

lurch

quake

quiver

reel

seesaw

shimmy

stagger

stalk

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈwɒd.əl/

Etymology

From Middle English *wadlen, frequentative form of waden, equivalent to wade + -le. Compare Old High German wadalōn (“to roam; wander”), Middle High German wadelen, wedelen (“to wander; rove”), German wedeln (“to waggle”).
First known use in English in a version of the Song of Roland around the year 1400. (Source:OED online)