juggle

1 of 2

verb

jug·​gle ˈjə-gəl 

juggled; juggling ˈjə-g(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to perform the tricks of a juggler

2

: to engage in manipulation especially in order to achieve a desired end

transitive verb

1

: to handle or deal with usually several things (such as obligations) at one time so as to satisfy often competing requirements

juggle the responsibilities of family life and full-time job

—Jane S. Gould

2

a

: to practice deceit or trickery on : beguile

b

: to manipulate or rearrange especially in order to achieve a desired end

juggle an account to hide a loss

3

a

: to toss in the manner of a juggler

b

: to hold or balance precariously

juggle

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of juggling:

a

: a trick of magic

b

: a show of manual dexterity

c

: an act of manipulation especially to achieve a desired end

Synonyms

Verb

• bamboozle
• beguile
• bluff
• buffalo
• burn
• catch
• con
• cozen
• deceive
• delude
• dupe
• fake out
• fool
• gaff
• gammon
• gull
• have
• have on [chiefly British]
• hoax
• hoodwink
• hornswoggle
• humbug
• misguide
• misinform
• mislead
• snooker
• snow
• spoof
• string along
• suck in
• sucker
• take in
• trick

Noun

• artifice
• device
• dodge
• fetch
• flimflam
• gambit
• gimmick
• jig
• knack
• play
• ploy
• ruse
• scheme
• shenanigan
• sleight
• stratagem
• trick
• wile

Examples of juggle in a Sentence

Verb

He is learning to juggle.

He juggled four balls at once.

She somehow manages to juggle a dozen tasks at once.

It can be hard to juggle family responsibilities and the demands of a full-time job.

I'll have to juggle my schedule a bit to get this all to work out.

Noun

a temporary suspension of the gas tax was just a crowd-pleasing juggle that was not a long-term solution to the energy problem

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Seldom settling for straightforward linearity or conventional structure, the group arranged sophisticated polyrhythms into the aural equivalent of jigsaw puzzles, and juggled scales and time signatures with profound dexterity. —Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2024

Leaders are often juggling a million things—high-stakes decisions, constant deadlines, and demands from every direction. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Noun

Gregg does some not-bad jokes, Charles K. punches through some wood but also accidentally punches Gregg in the stomach, Christopher does yo-yo tricks, Michael reads a poem, and Gil juggles. —Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024

The constant juggle means caregivers are often absent from work, lose pay and benefits and miss out on promotions. —Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English jogelen, from Anglo-French jugler, from Latin joculari to jest, joke, from joculus, diminutive of jocus joke

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

juggle

verb

jug·​gle

ˈjəg-əl

juggled; juggling

-(ə-)liŋ

1

: to keep several objects in motion in the air at the same time

2

: to do several things at the same time

juggling three jobs

3

: make changes to (something) in order to achieve a desired result

had to juggle my schedule

juggler

-(ə-)lər

noun