zig

American  

[zig] / zɪg /

verb (used without object)

zigged, zigging

1. to move in one of the two directions followed in a zigzag course.

   He zigged when he should have zagged.

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Usage

What does zig mean? Zig is an informal verb that means to move in one of the directions in a zigzag pattern. A zigzag is a line of alternating, sharp up-and-down turns that form peaks and valleys kind of resembling the letter Z. Zigzag can also be used as a verb meaning to move back and forth while traveling forward in a way that resembles this pattern. The word zag can be used to mean the same thing as zig. However, the two terms are typically used together, in which case they mean to move in opposite directions. This is usually used in a somewhat humorous way. Zig and zag are most commonly used in the context of physical movement, but they are sometimes used in situations in which people keep doing different things, such as when changing their minds back and forth. Example: I threw the ball where I said I was going to throw it, but you zigged when you should have zagged!

Etymology

Origin of zig

First recorded in 1785–95; extracted from zigzag

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zig zigged zigging

Sometimes, you’re smart to zig when everybody else zags.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

As the sun sets across the city, on every rooftop we can see families and friends, laughing, shouting, watching as kites zig zag, circle, and soar through the city's skies.

From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026

Even so, there was no denying that “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” had struck commercial and cultural gold by zagging hard where most studios had long been content to zig.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2023

The show’s willingness to zig where ’70s stories usually zag is reflected in its aesthetic.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

In one hall, they had to zig and zag to opposite sides and sidle along the lockers to avoid the security cameras.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

The energy sector’s monthly returns had only a 74% correlation with the rest of the market, meaning that sometimes it zigged when everything else was zagging — an extraordinarily useful attribute in the real world.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 20, 2026

We just know that the court zigged or zagged.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2025

It’s as if Streisand’s had heard about the bonkers approach of those other dogs and zigged, sitting patiently as Streisand doled a morsel or two to each.

From New York Times ● Nov. 7, 2023

There it zigged, and there it zagged, racing toward the entrance.

From Washington Post ● May 2, 2023

She kind of zigged one way then zagged the ’nother, moving slow, but always ending up going in the direction of the tree.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Rivian is zigging while other car companies are zagging.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

There was a simple reason why Lloyd decided to zag where everyone else in college hoops was zigging.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

This is a huge blow to the idea that bitcoin is somehow something different, a supposedly uncorrelated asset that may help diversify your portfolio by sometimes zigging when everything else zags.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

And no airline that already exists has any apparent interest in zigging while the market zags.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2025

Now that they were on level ground, zooming through Fry, zigging around frozen people and things, they found their bikes maintained only the narrowest lead over the creature.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles