English Explanatory Dictionary

squirm

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To twist one's body with snakelike motions.
  2. To twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment.
  3. To evade a question, an interviewer etc.
noun
  1. A twisting, snakelike movement of the body.

Pronunciation

/skwɜːm/ /skwɝm/ en-us-squirm.ogg en-au-squirm.ogg

Word forms

squirm squirms squirming squirmed

Etymology

First recorded 1690's, originally used of eels; cognate with Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”). Of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal quirm, whirm (“to disappear quickly, vanish suddenly and mysteriously”), Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”), from Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”). Alternatively, perhaps imitative or related to worm (in the sense of writhing movement) or swarm.

Synonyms

writhe wriggle fidget

Derived words

asquirm squiggle squirmage squirmer squirmingly squirmish squirmworthy squirmy
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