wriggle

Meaning

Verb

1. (intransitive) To twist one's body to and fro with short, writhing motions; to squirm.
2. (transitive) To cause something to wriggle.
3. (intransitive) To use crooked or devious means.

Noun

A wriggling movement.

Synonyms

squirm

writhe

twist

wiggle

struggle

slither

worm

🪱

move

meander

coil

wrestle

fidget

twist and turn

bend

crawl

wring

wag

shake

🫨

curve

flutter

roll

slip

stir

twiddle

wind

wobble

kick about

toss about

shimmy

shirk

slide

move back and forth

glide

snake

🐍

spiral

flourish

become crooked

flounder

throw oneself about

tremble

turn

tweak

circumvolute

twirl

flit

twitch

elude

waggle

curl

buzz about

Translations

se tortiller

serpentear

sich winden

retorcer

schlängeln

🐍

στριφογυρίζω

frétiller

contorcersi

κουλούριασμα

تلوى

σέρνομαι

αυλάκι

σπαρταρώ

καμπή

remuer

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹɪɡəl/

Etymology

Cognate with Dutch: wriggelen

Cognate with Low German: wriggeln

Cognate with Old English: wrigian

In summary

From wrig + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare Dutch wriggelen (“to wriggle, squirm”), Low German wriggeln (“to wriggle”). Related to Old English wrigian (“to turn, wend, hie, go move”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”).