I. fid ‧ get 1 /ˈfɪdʒət, ˈfɪdʒɪt/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: fidge 'to move uncontrollably' (16-19 centuries) ]
to keep moving your hands or feet, especially because you are bored or nervous:
The kids had started to fidget.
fidget with
Stop fidgeting with your pens!
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ move to go to a different place, or change the position of your body:
Sarah moved away from the window.
|
Every time I move I get a pain in my left shoulder.
▪ sway to move slowly from one side to the other:
The branches swayed in the wind.
|
Donny swayed drunkenly as he walked back to his car.
▪ rock to move repeatedly from one side to another, with small gentle movements:
He rocked backward and forward in his chair.
|
The boat rocked from side to side with the waves.
▪ wobble to move unsteadily from side to side:
The bike wobbled a bit, but she soon got it under control.
▪ fidget to keep moving or playing with your fingers, hands, feet etc, because you are bored or nervous:
Diana fidgeted nervously with her pencil.
▪ squirm to make very small movements from side to side with your body, especially because you feel uncomfortable:
By the end of the hour, most of the children were squirming in their seats.
▪ wriggle to make small movements from side to side, especially in order to get into or out of something:
The dog wriggled under the fence and escaped into the street.
|
She managed to wriggle into the dress, but it was much too tight.
▪ twitch if part of your body twitches, it makes small movements that you cannot control:
A muscle on Yang’s face twitched.
▪ stir written to make a movement – used especially when describing a situation in which no one moves, or someone wakes up:
In the village a dog barked but no one stirred
|
The sleeping child stirred and opened her eyes.
▪ budge to move – used when you are trying hard to make something move, often without success:
The piano wouldn’t budge.
II. fidget 2 BrE AmE noun [countable] informal
someone who is unable to sit or stand still