Standard Lemma guide

wiggly

adj · 4 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈwɪɡl̩i/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈwɪɡ(ə)li/
  • rhymes with -ɪɡəli
  • CMU ARPABET: W IH1 G AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Constantly moving, especially with small, undirected movements.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It is not easy to get a diaper onto a wiggly little baby.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fidgety, jiggly, jumpy, squirmy, wigglesome

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of a line: made up of many curves.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • wiggly worms

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wriggling, wriggly, writhing

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

curved or curving in and out

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • wiggly lines

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sinuate, sinuous

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From wiggle + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wiggelg, wiggelch (“wiggly”), German Low German wiggelig (“wiggly, restless, fidgety”).

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: vääntelehtivä — constantly moving
  • Finnish: tempoileva — constantly moving
  • Finnish: kiemurteleva — made of many curves
  • Finnish: kiemurainen — made of many curves
  • Russian: волнистый (volnistyj) — made of many curves