verb
wriggle
RIH-guhl
Wriggle (verb) means to twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm. Example: “The puppy wriggled out of her arms and ran off.”
verb
1
To twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm.
"The puppy wriggled out of her arms and ran off."
"He wriggled his toes in the warm sand."
2
To use clever or evasive means to escape a difficult situation.
"She tried to wriggle out of paying the fine."
How to use wriggle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo twist and squirm, or to cleverly avoid a duty or blame.
Common pairings
wriggle free
wriggle out of something
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Word forms
- Plural
- wriggles
- Third person singular
- wriggles
- Past tense
- wriggled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The puppy _____ out of her arms and ran off.
Etymology
Formed from wrig and -le (a frequentative suffix). Compare Dutch wriggelen (“to wriggle, squirm”) and Low German wriggeln (“to wriggle”). It is related to Old English wrigian (“to turn, wend, hie, go move”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”).
Related words
Rhymes for wriggle
See all rhymes for wriggle →Frequently asked questions
What does “wriggle” mean?
The word “wriggle” means to twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm. In plain terms, to twist and squirm, or to cleverly avoid a duty or blame.
How do you pronounce “wriggle”?
“Wriggle” is pronounced RIH-guhl (/ˈɹɪɡəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “wriggle” in a sentence?
Here is “wriggle” used in a sentence: “The puppy wriggled out of her arms and ran off.”
What part of speech is “wriggle”?
“Wriggle” is a verb.
How many meanings does “wriggle” have?
“Wriggle” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm.
