fidget

American  

[fij-it] / ˈfɪdʒ ɪt /

verb (used without object)

• fidgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fidgeted,
  past participle,  past
• fidgeting
  present participle

1. to move about restlessly, nervously, or impatiently.

2. to play with something in a restless or nervous way; fiddle.

   The boy kept fidgeting with the toy instead of paying attention.

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verb (used with object)

• fidgets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fidgeted,
  past participle,  past
• fidgeting
  present participle

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

noun

• fidgets
  plural

1. Often fidgets. the condition or an instance of being nervously restless, uneasy, or impatient.

2. Also fidgeter. a person who fidgets.

fidget British  

/ ˈfɪdʒɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to move about restlessly

2. to make restless or uneasy movements (with something); fiddle

   he fidgeted with his pen

3. (tr) to cause to fidget

4. (tr) to cause to worry; make uneasy

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noun

1. (often plural) a state of restlessness or unease, esp as expressed in continual motion

   he's got the fidgets

2. a person who fidgets

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fidgety
  adjective
• unfidgeting
  adjective
• fidgetingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fidgets
  plural

Participles

• fidgeting
  present
• fidgeted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• fidget
  simple
• fidgets
  simple
• have fidgeted
  perfect
• has fidgeted
  perfect
• am fidgeting
  progressive
• are fidgeting
  progressive
• is fidgeting
  progressive
• have been fidgeting
  perfect progressive
• has been fidgeting
  perfect progressive

Past

• fidgeted
  simple
• had fidgeted
  perfect
• was fidgeting
  progressive
• were fidgeting
  progressive
• had been fidgeting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will fidget
  simple
• will have fidgeted
  perfect
• will be fidgeting
  progressive
• will have been fidgeting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fidget fidgets fidgeted fidgeting

She likes to buy Xander squishy or fidget toys that are often aimed at children who have anxiety as they can act as "a distraction or a release".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Kids call them fidget toys or stress balls.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

When slime, fidget spinners and other tactile toys started catching on, the company looked to create a product that could compete.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 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

So I stand there awkwardly until the bell rings to signal the end of lunch and fidget with the straps on my bag.

From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan

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

I feel a pinch of guilt as he fidgets beside me.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

No-one fidgeted or glanced at their smartphones, as Eva explained she had the number A-26959 tattooed in blue ink on her arm.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2025

Students fidgeted in chairs, not knowing what to say.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 2023

And at the matinee I saw, it failed to connect with its audience — or at least the several dozen middle school students in attendance, who napped, whispered, fidgeted and surreptitiously checked phones.

From New York Times ● May 11, 2023

Together they fidgeted and called out, interrupting things repeatedly with their questions and responses.

From Salon ● May 6, 2023

He fidgeted and sulked, and said he couldn’t get any work done without her.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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

Newby, who was being treated for a chest infection at the time, said he approached Farooq outside the maternity ward after spotting him fidgeting and looking anxious.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

They can take four minutes on the answer, and people are now fidgeting in the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2025

One recent Canadian study suggested perhaps one in three of us might be aversely affected by other people fidgeting, experiencing intense feelings of rage, torture and disgust.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024

I start fidgeting with things within fidgeting distance.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• fret
• jiggle
• squirm
• twiddle
• twitch