waddle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
waddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
waddled,
past participle, past
-
waddling
present participle
-
to walk with short steps, swaying or rocking from side to side, as a duck.
-
to move in any similar, slow, rocking manner; wobble.
The ship waddled into port.
noun
-
waddles
plural
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
waddlesimple
-
waddlessimple
-
have waddledperfect
-
has waddledperfect
-
am waddlingprogressive
-
are waddlingprogressive
-
is waddlingprogressive
-
have been waddlingperfect progressive
-
has been waddlingperfect progressive
Past
-
waddledsimple
-
had waddledperfect
-
was waddlingprogressive
-
were waddlingprogressive
-
had been waddlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of waddle
1350–1400; Middle English; see wade, -le; compare German watteln
Explanation
A duck's walk is a waddle. To imitate it, turn your feet away from each other and take short clumsy steps that make you swing unsteadily from side to side. Ducks aren't the only animals known to waddle. Penguins with their little tiny feet may waddle along the ice, though they move gracefully through the water. If your footing is unsteady, you might waddle a little too as you tread carefully. Don't confuse waddle with wattle. A wattle is the red bit of flesh that hangs from the necks of turkeys and chickens. Wattles waddle back and forth as birds waddle along.
Vocabulary lists containing waddle
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Hot to Trot: Animal Ambulation
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
25 Ways of Walking
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
It couldn’t waddle or sway without components from Chinese robot maker Unitree that power the motion of its neck and legs, according to a research paper by Disney.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
Poor circulation in his legs has turned his walk into more of a waddle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
That part of the leg, they say, is where fibular reduction among some dinosaurs tens of millions of years ago helped make it possible for peacocks to strut, penguins to waddle, and turkeys to trot.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024
While not particularly strong flyers — they are heavy for their wing span, and waddle on land — they are liquid grace in water, powering more than 25 feet deep to chase down fish.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 21, 2024
He set off at a brisk waddle, never looking back.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
As expected, Colin Farrell waddles apart for his nigh-unrecognizable turn as the reimagined Bat-nemesis in “The Penguin.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2025
The contest says it promotes the adoption of dogs, even ones that might have “missing fur, crossed eyes, duck waddles or mismatched ears.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2022
When E.T. waddles into the kids’ lives, his supernatural abilities are like an extension of their vivid imaginations.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2022
This one lumbers and waddles after supplementing nature’s bounty this fall by helping himself to seeds that fall to the ground from bird feeders.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 10, 2021
She waddles over to the knotty base of the tree and sits.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
Play, a four-year-old French bulldog, waddled down the street in Noho.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
A flock of brown pelicans waddled back into the wild on Wednesday morning, survivors of Southern California’s latest toxic algal bloom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2025
Her caption in the now-deleted post read: "My dream of holding a wombat has been realised! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush."
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025
Holding her 8-month-old as she waddled a few steps, Mercedes Andrews, 27, said she came to Ttáwaxt after attending classes at another birth center in the Tri-Cities area.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2023
Usually before leaving Antonapoulos waddled gently to the glassed case in the front of the store where some meats and cheeses were kept.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
It consists not only of college students booing AI and waddling seniors raging on Facebook against data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"He's waddling around the field like a grandad, that's why Portugal are out," the former England striker said.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
When some think of the late Queen Elizabeth, her waddling corgis come to mind.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2024
Mr. Hart said after a heartfelt tribute from his friend the comedian Dave Chappelle, before waddling offstage at the John Kennedy F. Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.
From New York Times ● Mar. 25, 2024
Unable to afford the suit's matching top, she's been reduced to waddling the streets much like two women fused together in some sort of cruel experiment.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
