fidget

American  

[fij-it] / ˈfɪdʒ ɪt /

verb (used without object)

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)

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

noun

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

• fidgetingly adverb
• fidgety adjective
• unfidgeting adjective

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”

Example Sentences

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

Someone at the end of the shelves, fidgeting and staring.

From Literature

Dave fidgeted in his seat and seemed to be waiting for someone to say his name.

From Literature

The white shirt he was wearing had large dark splotches of sweat under his arms, and he fidgeted from foot to foot.

From Literature

Grandpa started fidgeting in his chair like something was biting him.

From Literature

Related Words

• fret
• jiggle
• squirm
• twiddle
• twitch