wriggle

Meaning

Verb

1. To twist one's body to and fro with short, writhing motions; to squirm.
2. To cause something to wriggle.
3. 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

twist about

creep

wreathe

corkscrew

convulse

churn

zigzag

buzz around

move about

move slowly

spuirm

brandish

joggle

jiggle

hang on

revolt

rock

🪨

crawl like a worm

roll around

agitated

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”).