fidget

[fij-it]

verb (used without object)

1. to move about restlessly, nervously, or impatiently.

2. to play with something in a restless or nervous way; fiddle.

   The boy kept fidgeting with the toy instead of paying attention.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to fidget; make uneasy: He was fidgeted by a hunch that the girl was going to cause trouble.

noun

1. Often fidgets. the condition or an instance of being nervously restless, uneasy, or impatient.

2. Also fidgeter. a person who fidgets.

fidget

/ ˈfɪdʒɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to move about restlessly

2. to make restless or uneasy movements (with something); fiddle

   he fidgeted with his pen

3. (tr) to cause to fidget

4. (tr) to cause to worry; make uneasy

noun

1. (often plural) a state of restlessness or unease, esp as expressed in continual motion

   he's got the fidgets

2. a person who fidgets

Other Word Forms

• fidgetingly adverb
• fidgety adjective
• unfidgeting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fidget¹

First recorded in 1665–75; compare dialectal fidge “to fidget,” akin to the synonymous expressive words fitch, fig, fike; compare Old Norse fīkjast “to be eager,” Old Swedish fīkja “to be restless”

Word History and Origins

Origin of fidget¹

C17: from earlier fidge , probably from Old Norse fīkjast to desire eagerly

Example Sentences

They can take four minutes on the answer, and people are now fidgeting in the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times

It doesn't fidget much or use a lot of body language.

From Salon

As her mother explains how she struggled to keep her alive amid a collapsing health system in Gaza, Niveen, with her big brown eyes and tiny frame, cries and fidgets.

From BBC

She faltered at times in her first hour of giving testimony, fidgeting with her long nails, and pausing when overwhelmed by emotion and fighting back tears.

From BBC

In addition to visualizing, you can plan to bring soothing aides such as fidget spinners or essential oils.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fret 
• jiggle 
• squirm 
• twiddle 
• twitch