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

Example Sentences

Those firms can decide to bid for an NHS contract, carry out private work instead or, more likely, juggle a combination of the two.

From BBC

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

“I’m trying to do a lot of things at once. It’s a very hard thing to juggle.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He studied musical theater in college, and juggled performing roles with bartending gigs.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was the only one at school who could juggle snowballs!

From Literature

Related Words

• alter
• shuffle