I. wrig ‧ gle 1 /ˈrɪɡ ə l/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Probably from Middle Low German wriggeln ]
1 . [intransitive] to twist your body from side to side with small quick movements:
Stop wriggling and let me put your T-shirt on.
wriggle under/through/into
He wriggled through the window.
The dog wriggled free and ran off.
2 . [transitive] to move a part of your body backwards and forwards with small movements:
She took off her shoes and wriggled her toes.
—wriggly adjective :
a wriggly worm
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ move to go to a different place, or change the position of your body:
Sarah moved away from the window.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
wriggle out of something phrasal verb
1 . to avoid doing something by using clever excuses SYN get out of something :
Don’t try to wriggle out of your responsibilities.
2 . to take off a tight piece of clothing by twisting your body from side to side:
She wriggled out of her dress.
II. wriggle 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
a movement in which you twist your body from side to side