wriggle

/ˈrɪgəl/

/ˈrɪgəl/

Other forms: wriggled; wriggling; wriggles

To wriggle is to squirm and twist quickly. Think of how hard it is to hold a rambunctious puppy as it wriggles in your arms.

Wriggle sounds a lot like wiggle, and the two words very nearly mean the same thing. There is a subtle difference, though: when you wriggle, you twist, turn, or bend as you move. When you wiggle, you make more of a back-and-forth motion. In fact, these two near-homonyms have completely different etymological sources. While wiggle stems from a Germanic root meaning "cradle," wriggle's root means "to turn or bend."

Definitions of wriggle

1. verb

   move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
   “The child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace”

   synonyms: squirm, twist, worm, wrestle, writhe

   types:

   wrench

   make a sudden twisting motion

   type of:

   move

   move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
2. noun

   the act of wiggling
   synonyms: squirm, wiggle

   type of:

   motility, motion, move, movement

   a change of position that does not entail a change of location