toddle

IPA/ˈtɒdl/
KK[tˈɑdəl]IPA/ˈtɑːdl/

toddle — verb

  • toddlepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • toddleshe / she / it
  • toddledpast simple
  • toddling-ing form

1. to take short, unsteady steps while moving across a surface, as a baby or very y

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to take short, unsteady steps while moving across a surface, as a baby or very young child does when it is still learning to walk

Example

Little Sofia toddled across the living room toward her mother, arms stretched out for balance.

toddle across [room] — pattern with direction preposition

Haruki stood, took two toddling steps, then plopped onto the rug with a happy squeal.

Common collocations
  • toddle across
  • toddle along
  • toddle toward
  • toddle from ... to ...
  • toddle unsteadily
Synonyms
  • wobble

    emphasises the swaying, unstable quality of the movement; can apply to people, animals, or objects

  • totter

    suggests a more dramatic loss of balance, as if about to fall over

  • teeter

    focuses on the moment-by-moment struggle to stay upright rather than forward movement

Antonyms
  • stride

    long, confident steps — the opposite of short, uncertain steps

  • march

    purposeful, regular steps with a clear direction

Grammar Patterns

toddle + adverb/preposition

toddle across/along/down/from/to

Usage Note

This sense is used almost exclusively of babies or very young children who are just beginning to walk. Adults sometimes also use it playfully to describe their own unsteady movements, for example after an injury or on rough ground.

Common Mistakes

The puppy toddled across the yard.
The puppy wobbled across the yard.
'toddle' is normally used for human babies, not animals.
She toddled the baby across the room.
The baby toddled across the room.
'toddle' is intransitive; you cannot 'toddle' someone or something.

2. to walk in a relaxed, unhurried way, usually for a short distance and without a

2.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to walk in a relaxed, unhurried way, usually for a short distance and without a particular purpose or destination

Example

After dinner, the whole family toddled down to the beach to watch the sunset.

toddle down to [place] — informal direction pattern

Amara toddled through the market, stopping now and then to look at the handmade jewellery.

Common collocations
  • toddle along
  • toddle down
  • toddle over
  • toddle through
  • toddle to
  • toddle around
Synonyms
  • stroll

    more common and neutral; suggests a leisurely walk but without the playful tone of 'toddle'

  • saunter

    focuses on the casual, confident, almost lazy quality of the walk

  • amble

    describes a slow, gentle pace with no particular direction

Antonyms
  • hurry

    to move quickly because of urgency; the opposite of unhurried

  • rush

    to move with speed and purpose; opposite of a relaxed walk

  • dash

    to run or move quickly over a short distance

Grammar Patterns

toddle + direction/preposition (along/down/over/to)

Usage Note

This sense is informal and often used light-heartedly. It carries the same gentle, slightly comic tone as 'stroll' but adds a hint of aimlessness. Commonly appears with direction words such as along, down, over, or through.

Common Mistakes

She toddled 10 kilometres to the next town.
She toddled down to the corner shop.
'toddle' suggests a short, easy walk, not a long or tiring one.
We toddled to work because we were late.
We toddled through the park after lunch.
'toddle' implies relaxation, not hurry or urgency.
Phrasal verbs

toddle off

phrasal verb

to leave a place in a relaxed, unhurried way, often with a slightly playful or affectionate tone

After tea, Grandad said his goodbyes and toddled off home.

The children each grabbed a biscuit and then toddled off to play in the garden.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe an unsteady or insecure way of moving, but they differ in who or what can perform the action and in the kind of instability involved. 'Toddle' is almost exclusively used for babies or very young children who are learning to walk — it implies a forward-moving, short-stepped gait with the arms raised for balance. 'Wobble' is broader: a bicycle wheel, a table, a jelly, or a person can wobble; the focus is on side-to-side movement rather than forward progress. 'Totter' suggests a more dramatic loss of balance, as though the person or thing is on the verge of falling over; it is often used for elderly people, exhausted walkers, or tall objects swaying. 'Teeter' describes a precarious, moment-by-moment struggle to stay upright without necessarily moving forwards — like teetering on the edge of a cliff or teetering on one leg. A baby toddles; a drunk person totters; a pile of books teeters; a loose tooth wobbles.

toddle ↗wobble ↗totter ↗teeter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Scots / Northern English dialectEnglish

The origin of 'toddle' is uncertain, but it first appeared in English around the early 1500s, likely from a Scottish or northern English dialect source related to 'totter' or 'taddle' (to walk unsteadily). The word may be linked to earlier Germanic roots meaning 'to shake or sway.' It gained wider use in the 1800s and produced the noun 'toddler' (a young child just learning to walk) by the late 19th century.

First known use

1600

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1