waddle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to walk with short steps, swaying or rocking from side to side, as a duck.
-
to move in any similar, slow, rocking manner; wobble.
The ship waddled into port.
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
waddlesimple
-
waddlessimple
-
have waddledperfect
-
has waddledperfect
-
are waddlingprogressive
-
am waddlingprogressive
-
is waddlingprogressive
-
have been waddlingperfect progressive
-
has been waddlingperfect progressive
Past
-
waddledsimple
-
had waddledperfect
-
was waddlingprogressive
-
were waddlingprogressive
-
had been waddlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of waddle
1350–1400; Middle English; see wade, -le; compare German watteln
Explanation
A duck's walk is a waddle. To imitate it, turn your feet away from each other and take short clumsy steps that make you swing unsteadily from side to side. Ducks aren't the only animals known to waddle. Penguins with their little tiny feet may waddle along the ice, though they move gracefully through the water. If your footing is unsteady, you might waddle a little too as you tread carefully. Don't confuse waddle with wattle. A wattle is the red bit of flesh that hangs from the necks of turkeys and chickens. Wattles waddle back and forth as birds waddle along.
Vocabulary lists containing waddle
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Hot to Trot: Animal Ambulation
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25 Ways of Walking
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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.
Chris Waddle: I had high hopes for Newcastle after last season but they have not really done enough.
From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025
Jaylen Waddle and former Ram Odell Beckham Jr. are other talented targets.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2024
After he scored, Hill celebrated by placing his hands behind his back while teammate Jaylen Waddle pretended to handcuff him.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2024
Chris Waddle: Four in a row was unbelievable and five would be absolutely incredible.
From BBC • Aug. 15, 2024
Miss Waddle the younger jumped up in consternation, scuttled the "Demon Dentist," headforemost, into her desk, and made a rush for the kitchen, as Miss Waddle the elder opened the parlor door.
From Norine's Revenge; Sir Noel's Heir by Fleming, May Agnes
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.
