juggle

American  

[juhg-uhl] / ˈdʒʌg əl /

verb (used with object)

juggled, juggling

1. to keep (several objects, as balls, plates, tenpins, or knives) in continuous motion in the air simultaneously by tossing and catching.

2. to hold, catch, carry, or balance precariously; almost drop and then catch hold again.

   The center fielder juggled the ball but finally made the catch.

3. to alter or manipulate in order to deceive, as by subterfuge or trickery.

   to juggle the business accounts; to juggle the facts.

4. to manage or alternate the requirements of (two or more tasks, responsibilities, activities, etc.) so as to handle each adequately.

   to juggle the obligations of job and school.

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verb (used without object)

juggled, juggling

1. to perform feats of manual or bodily dexterity, as tossing up and keeping in continuous motion a number of balls, plates, knives, etc.

2. to use artifice or trickery.

noun

1. the act or fact of juggling.

juggle British  

/ ˈdʒʌɡəl /

verb

1. to throw and catch (several objects) continuously so that most are in the air all the time, as an entertainment

2. to arrange or manipulate (facts, figures, etc) so as to give a false or misleading picture

3. (tr) to keep (several activities) in progress, esp with difficulty

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noun

1. an act of juggling

Other Word Forms

• jugglery noun
• jugglingly adverb
• outjuggle verb (used with object)
• unjuggled adjective

Etymology

Origin of juggle

1350–1400; Middle English jog ( e ) len < Old French jogler to serve as buffoon or jester < Late Latin joculāre to joke (replacing Latin joculārī ), equivalent to Latin jocul ( us ) ( joc ( us ) joke + -ulus -ule ) + -āre infinitive suffix

Explanation

To juggle is to toss several items in the air and keep them moving from hand to hand, with at least one of them suspended at any given moment. Most beginners learn to juggle using balls or beanbags, not knives. A skilled juggler can juggle stuffed animals or oranges, or even knives and flaming torches. It's also possible to figuratively juggle, like when you juggle three jobs at once or juggle your responsibilities as a student, pet owner, and friend. In these examples, you manage several things at the same time. Juggle comes from the Old French jogler, "play tricks or sing songs," from the Latin root ioculari, "to jest."

Example Sentences

You may have to juggle it or pass it to someone else, and that’s OK.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

With no dedicated cold-case squad, they also juggle approximately 100 older investigations.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

The “markets will likely remain cautious as investors juggle Middle East geopolitical risks and volatile oil prices, which continue to drive inflation expectations,” UOB’s Global Economics & Markets Research team says in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Related: ‘I can’t deal with managing them’: I juggle 18 credit cards.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

But Dijksterhuis is suggesting the opposite: that maybe that big computer in our brain that handles our unconscious is at its best when it has to juggle many competing variables.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• alter
• shuffle