waggly

American  

[wag-lee] / ˈwæg li /

adjective

1. waggling; unsteady.

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Etymology

Origin of waggly

First recorded in 1890–95; waggle + -y ¹

Explanation

Anything waggly moves rapidly back and forth, like a puppy's waggly tail. Waggly things waggle, moving up and down or back and forth (or both) in a slightly jerky way. The verb came first, from wag and its Old English root wagian, "move backwards and forwards." You can think of waggly things as wagging in a wiggly way, like a group of children dancing or a roomful of puppies that are very excited to see you.

Example Sentences

The analogies were as leaden as the puppets were unwieldy and waggly and expressive.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2020

It sounds like painful work though: you play the game by linking Tupsu's waggly eyes to floating islands in order to propel him around the screen collecting stars.

From The Guardian • Jan. 18, 2013

There's a waggly NERD-by-numbers bassline; an anodyne purr from Nelly, the dead-eyed mistress of mewling; and a bizarre guest performance on 90210 to look back on if nothing else.

From The Guardian • Aug. 27, 2010

Mother used to offer us sixpence a tooth when they grew waggly, and we pulled them out without any fuss.

From The Heart of Una Sackville by Tarrant, Peter

"Little waggly things you see with microscopes," said Cyril, with a scientific air.

From Five Children and It by Millar, H. R. (Harold Robert)