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.

---

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

---

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

Example Sentences

“I can juggle four balls. I have three girlfriends. There’s a kid who looks like me who lives in Indiana,” Quincy says.

From Literature

Now Helen helps others in Liverpool who "are too busy caring for someone to juggle all these things".

From BBC

Each account supports up to 10 devices, making it a suitable choice for families or individuals who juggle multiple devices.

From Salon

“I don’t know. Unless...maybe he’s going to juggle them.”

From Literature

How do I juggle everybody’s needs, including those of the parents and the beneficiary?

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• alter
• shuffle