Phrase guide

jiggle television

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The gratuitous use of scantily clad women to appeal to television audiences.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jiggle TV

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Coined by Paul Klein in the 1970s to criticize the strategy of the ABC television network under Fred Silverman; three successful series on ABC at the time - Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, and Three's Company - were described as having spearheaded this term.