wriggle
wriggle — 動詞
- wrigglepresent simple I / you / we / they
- wriggleshe / she / it
- wriggledpast simple
- wriggling-ing form
1. to turn your body quickly from side to side with small movements, especially whe
扭動；蠕動
身體或部位快速小幅扭轉
to turn your body quickly from side to side with small movements, especially when you feel uncomfortable, excited, or are trying to pull free from a tight grip
Keiko wriggled in her chair all through the long meeting and kept checking her watch.
Keiko 在漫長的會議中不停在椅子上扭動，一直看手錶。
wriggle + in [seat/chair]
Diego wriggled his fingers into the tight glove and flexed them to test the fit.
Diego 把手指扭進緊繃的手套裡，彎了彎手指測試是否合手。
transitive: wriggle + body part (fingers, toes, shoulders)
The puppy wriggled out of Fatima's arms and ran straight towards the open gate.
小狗扭動身體掙脫了 Fatima 的懷抱，直直衝向敞開的大門。
wriggle out of + physical restraint
Kwame felt the fish wriggling in his hands as he tried to return it to the water.
Kwame 感覺得到魚在他手中扭動，他試著把魚放回水裡。
Sven wriggled his shoulders to loosen the stiffness after sitting at his desk for hours.
Sven 扭了扭肩膀，舒緩在書桌前坐了好幾個小時的僵硬感。
- wriggle restlessly
- wriggle in one's seat
- wriggle free
- wriggle out of someone's grasp
- wriggle one's toes/fingers/shoulders
- squirm
implies stronger discomfort or embarrassment; the movement is usually less purposeful than wriggling
- twist
more general — can be a single turn without the quick, repeated side-to-side motion of wriggling
- fidget
focuses on restless, small movements from boredom or nervousness, not an attempt to escape
文法句型
wriggle [body part]
wriggle + adverb/preposition
wriggle out of [something]
用法筆記
Frequently used with adverbs of direction or manner (wriggle free, wriggle restlessly, wriggle out). The transitive pattern (wriggle + body part) describes small controlled movements of the toes, fingers, or shoulders.
常見錯誤
2. to work your body through a tight space — such as a gap in a fence or a crowd —
鑽過；擠過
扭動身體穿過狹窄空間
to work your body through a tight space — such as a gap in a fence or a crowd — using short, quick, snake-like movements
Tariq wriggled through the fence hole to get his football from the neighbour's garden.
Tariq 鑽過籬笆的破洞到鄰居花園撿他的足球。
wriggle through [narrow opening]
A long black snake wriggled under the garden shed and vanished from sight.
一條長長的黑蛇鑽到花園儲物棚底下，消失不見了。
Elena wriggled through the packed train to reach the doors before her stop.
Elena 在擁擠的列車中鑽來鑽去，想在下車前擠到車門邊。
wriggle through + crowd (figurative tight space)
The rescue dog wriggled under the fallen beam and reached the trapped hiker within minutes.
搜救犬鑽過倒塌的橫樑，幾分鐘內就找到了受困的登山客。
Wei watched a worm wriggle into the damp soil after the morning rain.
Wei 看著一條蟲在早晨的雨後鑽進潮濕的泥土裡。
- wriggle through a gap/hole/opening
- wriggle under a fence/bed/rock
- wriggle into a space
- wriggle free
- squeeze
focuses on fitting into a space barely large enough; less emphasis on the twisting motion of wriggling
- worm one's way
emphasises slow, patient, twisting progress through a tight or crowded space
文法句型
wriggle + through/under/into [narrow space]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by a prepositional phrase (through, under, into) naming the tight space. Describes deliberate, effortful movement, not aimless wriggling. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about moving from A to B through an obstacle, not just twisting in place.
常見錯誤
wriggle out of
phrasal verbto avoid doing an unpleasant or inconvenient task by finding excuses or clever reasons, in a way that other people may find unfair or annoying
Keiko always tries to wriggle out of doing the washing-up by claiming she has to finish her homework.
The minister attempted to wriggle out of answering the journalist's question about the missing funds.
wriggle room
idiomthe freedom or flexibility to change a plan, decision, or agreement without causing problems or breaking the rules
The contract is extremely detailed and gives the company almost no wriggle room to adjust the delivery date.
Tariq asked the bank for some wriggle room on the loan repayment because his new job did not start until March.
wriggle — 名詞
- wrigglesingular
- wrigglesplural
1. a short, small twisting movement of the body, especially one that gives away how
扭動；一扭
輕微的扭轉動作
a short, small twisting movement of the body, especially one that gives away how someone feels — such as excitement, discomfort, or the urge to get free
Naledi gave a little wriggle of delight when she tasted the chocolate cake.
Naledi 嚐到巧克力蛋糕時，開心地輕輕扭了一下。
give a wriggle / a wriggle of [emotion: delight, excitement]
With one final wriggle, Bjorn managed to pull the tight jumper over his head.
Bjorn 最後再扭了一下，終於把緊身的毛衣從頭上脫了下來。
Yuki felt a sudden wriggle in her coat pocket and knew the baby mouse was still inside.
Yuki 感覺外套口袋裡突然有東西在扭動，就知道那隻小老鼠還在裡面。
The toddler let out a happy wriggle when his father lifted him onto his shoulders.
小娃兒被爸爸舉到肩膀上時，高興得扭了一下。
Chidi noticed a wriggle of impatience from the child beside him in the doctor's waiting room.
Chidi 注意到診所候診室裡，旁邊的小孩不耐煩地扭動了一下。
- give a wriggle
- a little wriggle
- a wriggle of excitement/pleasure/delight
- last/final wriggle
文法句型
a wriggle of [emotion]
give a wriggle
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'a wriggle of + emotion' (excitement, pleasure, delight, impatience) to describe a small physical reaction to a feeling. The light-verb construction 'give a wriggle' is common in narrative and informal speech.
同根字
- wriggler名詞C1
- wriggly形容詞B2
- wriggling形容詞B2