shimmy

5 synonyms for shimmy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A dance move involving rapid, alternating shaking of the shoulders or hips.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

shift slip

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

teddy

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

wobble chemise

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A dance move involving rapid, alternating shaking of the shoulders or hips.

“She broke into a little shimmy on the dance floor.”

shift slip teddy wobble chemise

2. verb

To move with a shaking, side-to-side motion, or to dance in this way.

“He shimmied along the narrow ledge.”

wobble

How to use shimmy

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

do a shimmy shimmy up a pole a wheel shimmy

Etymology

Believed to be a back-formation from chemise (a type of undergarment), mistaken for a plural form.

Full origin of shimmy →

Frequently asked questions

What does “shimmy” mean?

The word “shimmy” means a dance move involving rapid, alternating shaking of the shoulders or hips. In plain terms, a quick side-to-side shaking movement, whether it is a dance step or an unwanted wobble in a wheel.

How do you pronounce “shimmy”?

“Shimmy” is pronounced SHIH-mee (/ˈʃɪ.mi/ in IPA).

How do you use “shimmy” in a sentence?

Here is “shimmy” used in a sentence: “She broke into a little shimmy on the dance floor.”

What part of speech is “shimmy”?

Depending on how it is used, “shimmy” can be a noun and a verb.

How many meanings does “shimmy” have?

“Shimmy” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a dance move involving rapid, alternating shaking of the shoulders or hips.

People also searched

shift slip teddy chemise wobble

Nearby words

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