fidget
Americanverb (used without object)
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fidgets,
present (3rd person singular)
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fidgeted,
past participle, past
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fidgeting
present participle
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to move about restlessly, nervously, or impatiently.
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to play with something in a restless or nervous way; fiddle.
The boy kept fidgeting with the toy instead of paying attention.
verb (used with object)
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fidgets,
present (3rd person singular)
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fidgeted,
past participle, past
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fidgeting
present participle
noun
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fidgets
plural
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Often fidgets. the condition or an instance of being nervously restless, uneasy, or impatient.
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Also fidgeter. a person who fidgets.
verb
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(intr) to move about restlessly
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to make restless or uneasy movements (with something); fiddle
he fidgeted with his pen
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(tr) to cause to fidget
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(tr) to cause to worry; make uneasy
noun
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(often plural) a state of restlessness or unease, esp as expressed in continual motion
he's got the fidgets
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a person who fidgets
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fidgetsimple
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fidgetssimple
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have fidgetedperfect
-
has fidgetedperfect
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am fidgetingprogressive
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are fidgetingprogressive
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is fidgetingprogressive
-
have been fidgetingperfect progressive
-
has been fidgetingperfect progressive
Past
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fidgetedsimple
-
had fidgetedperfect
-
was fidgetingprogressive
-
were fidgetingprogressive
-
had been fidgetingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fidget
First recorded in 1665–75; compare dialectal fidge “to fidget,” akin to the synonymous expressive words fitch, fig, fike; compare Old Norse fīkjast “to be eager,” Old Swedish fīkja “to be restless”
Explanation
To fidget is to make little movements with your hands and feet. Even if you're nervous during your job interview, try not to fidget. The word fidget is related to the Old Norse fikja, meaning "move briskly, be restless or eager." If you are feeling impatient or anxious you might fidget in your seat or fidget with a pen in your hands. A person who fidgets a lot can be referred to as a fidget and so can that quick anxious movement itself.
Vocabulary lists containing fidget
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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.
See Examples For:
So Banos, who works in communications, has started to “carry a magnetic ball fidget toy so I don’t,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Kids call them fidget toys or stress balls.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
That approach, she said, helped Five Below take advantage of the current craze for “squishy dumplings” — the latest popular fidget toy that the retailer has managed to cash in on.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 18, 2026
She carries a fidget spinner and a tablet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026
Felix enjoyed watching Benji fidget and look uncomfortable.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
He fidgets with a pair of eyeglasses and points a knobby index finger to underscore a point, jiggles his leg restlessly and, at one point, mimes playing guitar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The story is simple: The dad flusters, fidgets and whines; the girl gobbles room service as though aspiring to become human foie gras.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Even at shows without sensory modifications, sensory bags containing comfort items, fidgets and headphones are always available.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
He fidgets endlessly with his hands as if trying to rub out the scars.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2023
He blushes and fidgets with the hem of his sleeve.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
He sat, he stood, he fidgeted, he paced in the emptying hallway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
Mr. Trump fidgeted throughout his time in court last week.
From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2024
When asked what his manner was like, she replied: "Matter of fact. He appeared a bit nervous. He kind of fidgeted."
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024
Students fidgeted in chairs, not knowing what to say.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 2023
The other kids in the class fidgeted, and even Mr. Roberts stopped every so often to dab at his forehead with an off-white handkerchief before continuing to lecture the disinterested, overheated students about biodiversity.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
In the studio and in meetings, Shulman has the restless energy of a kid—pacing around a room or fidgeting with a piano keyboard or bass guitar—combined with the intellectual affect of a quant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
They can take four minutes on the answer, and people are now fidgeting in the crowd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2025
"Some people might get really annoyed by fidgeting or repetitive movements but it doesn't impact massively on day-to-day life," she says.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024
One common way people try to manage the condition is by avoiding looking at fidgeting or by distracting themselves, Dr Gregory says.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024
“Your headscarf looks nice, Laleh,” I said, taking her hand to stop her fidgeting.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
