To wiggle means to make small, quick movements from side to side or up and down. When you wiggle your loose tooth with your tongue, you're moving it back and forth in tiny motions. A fish wiggles through the water by moving its body in smooth waves. If your foot falls asleep, you might wiggle your toes to get the feeling back.

The word captures movements that are usually playful, restless, or slightly squirmy. A puppy wiggles with excitement when you come home, its whole body shaking with joy. Young children often can't sit still during long meetings and start to wiggle in their seats. If something doesn't quite fit, you might wiggle it into place, like wiggling your foot into a tight shoe.

You can also use wiggle as a noun: “Give it a wiggle and see if it comes loose.” The word wiggly describes things that move this way naturally, like wiggly worms or wiggly Jell-O. There's something fundamentally energetic and alive about wiggling. Things that are stiff and rigid don't wiggle. Things that wiggle have movement, flexibility, and energy.