jiggle

American  

[jig-uhl] / ˈdʒɪg əl /

verb (used with or without object)

jiggled, jiggling

1. to move up and down or to and fro with short, quick jerks.

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noun

1. a jiggling movement.

jiggle British  

/ ˈdʒɪɡəl /

verb

1. to move or cause to move up and down or to and fro with a short jerky motion

   to jiggle the door handle

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noun

1. a short jerky motion

Other Word Forms

• jiggler noun
• jiggly adjective

Etymology

Origin of jiggle

First recorded in 1835–40; jig ² + -le

Explanation

To jiggle is to move very quickly back and forth or up and down. If you ride in a car over bumpy roads holding a bowl of Jello on your lap, you can watch it jiggle until you reach your destination. You might feel your body jiggle when you ride on a galloping horse, and you can also jiggle something, like when you accidentally jiggle a chess board and send the pieces flying. The action of moving in this way is a jiggle. Jiggle comes from jig, "lively dance," and is probably an alteration of the earlier joggle, "move with jerks or small bobs."

Example Sentences

In an AI era when attackers can jiggle every virtual doorknob continuously, human defenders don’t stand a chance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Some attendees’ legs jiggle dramatically as they adjust to the board’s movement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2024

When atoms in a lattice jiggle together, the collective excitation is known as a phonon.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2023

"Astounding, I could do that for free - just jiggle or stir the regular bag in the mug and it halves the brewing time", he told the BBC.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2023

Claire stood there watching the little basket jiggle gendy as the bicycle moved along the path.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• fidget
• shimmy
• twitch
• wiggle