fidget
[ fij-it ]
/ ˈfɪdʒ ɪt /
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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.
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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, adverbun·fidg·et·ing, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fidget in a sentence
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); fiddlehe 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 motionhe's got the fidgets
a person who fidgets
Derived forms of fidget
fidgetingly, adverbfidgety, adjectiveWord Origin for fidget
C17: from earlier fidge, probably from Old Norse fīkjast to desire eagerly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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