fidget

[ fij-it ]

See synonyms for: fidget fidgeting fidgets on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to move about restlessly, nervously, or impatiently.
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)

to cause to fidget; make uneasy: He was fidgeted by a hunch that the girl was going to cause trouble.

noun

Often fidg·ets. the condition or an instance of being nervously restless, uneasy, or impatient.
Also fidg·et·er. a person who fidgets.

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”

Other words from fidget

fidg·et·ing·ly, adverb
un·fidg·et·ing, adjective

Words Nearby fidget

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fidget in a sentence

Ian Nepomniachtchi took off his blazer on the third move, a record-fast time, and he played with a captured chess piece like it was a fidget spinner.
How The Longest Game In World Chess Championship History Was Won | Oliver Roeder | December 3, 2021 | FiveThirtyEight
The post Best fidget toys to relieve anxiety and boredom and increase focus appeared first on Popular Science.
Best fidget toys to relieve anxiety and boredom and increase focus | Irena Collaku | July 20, 2021 | Popular-Science
These fidget toys can also help relieve stress in adults as well.
Best fidget toys to relieve anxiety and boredom and increase focus | Irena Collaku | July 20, 2021 | Popular-Science
Type in “fidget spinners,” and you’ll see that there was a huge spike in 2017 when no-one could get enough of those toys.
A comprehensive guide on using Google Trends for keyword research | Aayush Gupta | February 12, 2021 | Search Engine Watch
While flicking a fidget spinner around isn’t going to provide enough exercise to melt away the fat over the abs, the collective effect of moving around all day can be significant when it comes to calorie consumption.
Fidgeting can relax your body and brain—if you do it right | | January 6, 2021 | Popular-Science

They fidget constantly and can rarely sleep, sometimes going a month or more on two to three hours of sleep a night.
James Holmes Suggested He Suffered From ‘Dysphoric Mania’ Weeks Before Attack | Eliza Shapiro | August 28, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Then Michael and Alan would be inclined to fidget, until Michael announced it was time to go and swat.
Sinister Street, vol. 1 | Compton Mackenzie
"I wish that boy Wiggins wouldn't fidget with his zuchetto," Michael's friend observed.
Sinister Street, vol. 1 | Compton Mackenzie
Mr Neeld was in a fidget, a fidget of importance and expectancy.
Tristram of Blent | Anthony Hope
Mrs. Leslie came up in fidget and in fuss; she leant over Randal's shoulder and read the card.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. II | Various
The prince cleared his throat, and began to fidget as though he were at a loss what to add further.
Smoke | Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich

British Dictionary definitions for fidget

fidget

/ (ˈfɪdʒɪt) /

verb

(intr) to move about restlessly
(intr often foll by with) to make restless or uneasy movements (with something); fiddle: he fidgeted with his pen

(tr) to cause to fidget
(tr) to cause to worry; make uneasy

noun

(often plural) a state of restlessness or unease, esp as expressed in continual motion: he's got the fidgets
a person who fidgets

Origin of fidget

C17: from earlier fidge, probably from Old Norse fīkjast to desire eagerly

Derived forms of fidget

fidgetingly, adverb
fidgety, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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