Standard Lemma guide

zigzag

adj · adv · name · noun · verb · 11 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.

  • /ˈzɪɡ.zæɡ/
  • [ˈzɪɡ.zæɡ]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈzɪɡ.zeɪ̯ɡ/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
  • [ˈzɪɡ.zeɪ̯ɡ] Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
  • rhymes with -æɡ
  • CMU ARPABET: Z IH1 G Z AE0 G Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Moving in, or having a zigzag.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Drunk.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, World-War-I, not-comparable, slang

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In a zigzag manner or pattern.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

name

Meaning 4

A small town in Oregon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A line or path that proceeds by sharp turns in alternating directions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

One of these sharp turns.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To move or to twist in a zigzag manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: zig and zag

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

having short sharp turns or angles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: zig-zag

Antonyms: none provided

9

adverb

Meaning 9

in a zigzag course or on a zigzag path

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • birds flew zigzag across the blue sky

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

an angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: zig, zag

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: angular shape, angularity

11

verb

Meaning 11

travel along a zigzag path

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The river zigzags through the countryside

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crank

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: travel, go, move, locomote

History

Etymology

Attested from 1712. Borrowed from French zigzag (attested from 1662), possibly from a Germanic source via Walloon ziczac (although German Zickzack is attested only from 1703). Also, possibly from the shape of the letter Z, which appears twice in the word. Sense “drunk” from the zigzag movements of a drunk person.

Named after the nearby Zigzag River.

Across languages

Translations

120 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: zigzaga — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Estonian: siksakiline — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Finnish: mutkitteleva — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Georgian: დაკლაკნილი (daḳlaḳnili) — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Georgian: ზიგზაგისებრი (zigzagisebri) — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Georgian: ზიგზაგური (zigzaguri) — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Georgian: კლაკნილი (ḳlaḳnili) — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Georgian: იკანკლური (iḳanḳluri) — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Māori: kōpekapeka — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Eastern Mari: кыри-гури (kyri-guri) — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Portuguese: ziguezagueante — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Scottish Gaelic: lùbach — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Spanish: en zigzag — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Welsh: igam-ogam — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Yoruba: kọ́lọkọ̀lọ — moving in or having a zigzag
  • Chinese Mandarin: 之字形 (zhīzìxíng) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Esperanto: zigzage — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Estonian: siksakiliselt — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Finnish: siksak — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Georgian: ზიგზაგურად (zigzagurad) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Georgian: დაკლაკნილად (daḳlaḳnilad) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Georgian: იკანკლურად (iḳanḳlurad) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Georgian: კლაკნილად (ḳlaḳnilad) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • German: zickzack — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Hungarian: cikcakkban — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Hungarian: zegzugosan — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Hungarian: zegzugos vonalban — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Japanese: ジグザグ (jiguzagu) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Japanese: 雁木 (gangi) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Korean: 갈지자로 (galjijaro) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Korean: 지그재그로 (jigeujaegeuro) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Korean: 비틀배틀 (biteulbaeteul) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Korean: 실룩샐룩 (silluksaelluk) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Korean: 휙획 (hwikhoek) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Portuguese: ziguezagueando — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Portuguese: em ziguezague — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Russian: зигза́г (zigzág) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Spanish: en zigzag — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Ukrainian: зигза́гом (zyhzáhom) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Ukrainian: зиґза́ґом (zygzágom) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Ukrainian: зигза́гами (zyhzáhamy) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Ukrainian: зиґза́ґами (zygzágamy) — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Welsh: igam-ogam — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Welsh: o un ochr i'r llall — in a zigzag manner or pattern
  • Afrikaans: sigsag — line or path
  • Armenian: զիգզագ (zigzag) — line or path
  • Azerbaijani: ziqzaq — line or path
  • Azerbaijani: əyrəm — line or path
  • Belarusian: зігза́г (zihzáh) — line or path
  • Catalan: ziga-zaga — line or path
  • Catalan: zig-zag — line or path
  • Cherokee: ᏗᏓᏅᏗᏍᏔᏅᏓ (didanvdistanvda) — line or path
  • Chinese Mandarin: 之字形 (zhīzìxíng) — line or path
  • Chinese Mandarin: Z字形 — line or path
  • Cornish: kammdro — line or path
  • Cornish: ygam-ogam — line or path
  • Esperanto: zigzago — line or path
  • Estonian: siksakjoon — line or path
  • Finnish: siksakki — line or path
  • French: zigzag — line or path
  • Galician: zigzag — line or path
  • Georgian: ზიგზაგი (zigzagi) — line or path
  • Georgian: იკანკელი (iḳanḳeli) — line or path
  • Georgian: ტეხილი (ṭexili) — line or path
  • German: Zickzack — line or path
  • Hebrew: זיגזג — line or path
  • Hindi: टेढ़ा-मेढ़ा (ṭeḍhā-meḍhā) — line or path
  • Hungarian: cikcakk — line or path
  • Interlingua: zigzag — line or path
  • Interlingua: zígzág — line or path
  • Irish: fiarlán — line or path
  • Italian: zigzag — line or path
  • Japanese: ジグザグ (jiguzagu) — line or path
  • Kazakh: бұралаң (būralañ) — line or path
  • Korean: 갈지자 (galjija) — line or path
  • Korean: 지그재그 (jigeujaegeu) — line or path
  • Malay: jalur berliku — line or path
  • Eastern Mari: зигзаг (zigzag) — line or path
  • Norwegian: sikksakk — line or path
  • Persian: زیگزاگ (zigzâg) — line or path
  • Polish: zygzak — line or path
  • Portuguese: ziguezague — line or path
  • Russian: зигза́г (zigzág) — line or path
  • Sotho: letswedintsweke — line or path
  • Spanish: zigzag — line or path
  • Swahili: zigizaga — line or path
  • Swedish: sicksack — line or path
  • Turkish: zikzak — line or path
  • Ukrainian: зигза́г (zyhzáh) — line or path
  • Ukrainian: зиґза́ґ (zygzág) — line or path
  • Welsh: igam-ogam — line or path
  • Estonian: siksak — turn
  • Finnish: siksakki — turn
  • Finnish: terävä käännös — turn
  • Catalan: zigzaguejar — move in a zigzag manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 曲折前進 /曲折前进 (qūzhé qiánjìn) — move in a zigzag manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蜿蜒 (wānyán) — move in a zigzag manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 彎彎曲曲 /弯弯曲曲 (wānwānqūqū) — move in a zigzag manner
  • Cornish: kammdreylya — move in a zigzag manner
  • Czech: kličkovat — move in a zigzag manner
  • Esperanto: zigzagi — move in a zigzag manner
  • Estonian: siksakitama — move in a zigzag manner
  • Finnish: pujotella — move in a zigzag manner
  • Finnish: säntäillä — move in a zigzag manner
  • Finnish: mutkitella — move in a zigzag manner
  • French: zigzaguer — move in a zigzag manner
  • Hungarian: cikázik — move in a zigzag manner
  • Hungarian: cikcakkban halad — move in a zigzag manner
  • Ido: zigzagar — move in a zigzag manner
  • Interlingua: zigzagar — move in a zigzag manner
  • Italian: zigzagare — move in a zigzag manner
  • Japanese: ジグザグに進む (jiguzagu ni susumu) — move in a zigzag manner
  • Māori: whakatahataha — move in a zigzag manner
  • Portuguese: ziguezaguear — move in a zigzag manner
  • Russian: идти́ зигза́гом (idtí zigzágom) — move in a zigzag manner
  • Russian: де́лать зигза́ги (délatʹ zigzági) — move in a zigzag manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: ševuljica — move in a zigzag manner
  • Spanish: zigzaguear — move in a zigzag manner
  • Welsh: igamogamu — move in a zigzag manner
  • ǃXóõ: ǂūbe — move in a zigzag manner