fidget
Americanverb (used without object)
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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)
noun
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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
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has fidgetedperfect
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am fidgetingprogressive
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are fidgetingprogressive
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is fidgetingprogressive
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have been fidgetingperfect progressive
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has been fidgetingperfect progressive
Past
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fidgetedsimple
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had fidgetedperfect
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was fidgetingprogressive
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were fidgetingprogressive
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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:
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
Hernandez came up with a rule: If a child isn’t into the movie, he or she can draw, play with slime or use a fidget toy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
Day gives out Blu Tack to some students to fidget with to keep them focused in class.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2026
The room is a cluster of fidget, every three or four children practically breaking out of his or her own skin, hopping.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
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
One sign of autism is fidgeting, but, she points out, how a black woman fidgets will be different to a white man for example.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2023
Sebastian Roelandse fidgets with headphones and bashfully whispers, “‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid.’”
From New York Times ● Oct. 6, 2022
Here, the class fidgets and talks loudly and the teacher rushes his lesson.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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
He said during Wednesday’s final game, he continually fidgeted with, squeezed and kissed the dark brown rosary he purchased in Mexico a decade ago that sits around his neck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024
Mr. Trump fidgeted throughout his time in court last week.
From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2024
O'Brien retorted, "You stand your butt up, big guy," as Mullin rose from his seat and fidgeted with his wedding band.
From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2023
Dave fidgeted in his seat and seemed to be waiting for someone to say his name.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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
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
She explains that she doesn't blame people for their fidgeting and understands that most people's actions are unintentional and done out of habit.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024
Suspicions were reportedly aroused when a test-taker was seen repeatedly fidgeting with their glasses frames, according to one source briefed on the probe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
He took me to a fancy Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, and he looked nervous, fidgeting with his hands.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
