verb
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to move with a wriggling motion; writhe
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to feel deep mental discomfort, guilt, embarrassment, etc
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of squirm
First recorded in 1685–95; of expressive origin, perhaps echoing worm
Explanation
To squirm is to wiggle or twist your body, the way an excited puppy will squirm when you try to hold him in your arms. Small children and animals squirm from excitement or eagerness, while uncomfortable adults also sometimes squirm: "She was so upset by her friends' argument that she started to squirm in her chair." When the word squirm first appeared in the 17th century, it was used specifically to talk about eels. Experts aren't sure of its roots, but some guess squirm is connected to worm or swarm.
Vocabulary lists containing squirm
Spelling Practice, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sarah Squirm, who is starting off her second season on “SNL,” kicked off the Big One’s inaugural show in 2021.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2022
Broderick, the show’s photographer and tech, quips, “Sarah Squirm did our first show, so basically our show is a fast track to ‘SNL.’”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2022
Squirm factor: Though it’s funny throughout, this episode does involve some deeply uncomfortable scenes.
From The Verge • Jan. 2, 2018
Squirm, Glummie's caterpillar brother, had been heard to say that it was so sweet about those clover blossoms that he could scarcely crawl by them; it made him faint.
From The Cheerful Cricket and Others by Marks, Jeannette Augustus
Squirm and sweat and strut, but don't you ever dare to think!'
From Harlequin and Columbine by Tarkington, Booth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
