shimmy

1 of 2

noun

shim·my ˈshi-mē

plural shimmies

Synonyms of shimmy next

[by alteration] : chemise

[short for shimmy-shake] : a jazz dance characterized by a shaking of the body from the shoulders down

: an abnormal vibration especially in the front wheels of a motor vehicle

shimmy

2 of 2

verb

shimmied; shimmying

intransitive verb

: to shake, quiver, or tremble in or as if in dancing a shimmy

: to vibrate abnormally

—used especially of automobiles

: shinny

Examples of shimmy in a Sentence

Verb They were shimmying on the dance floor. I shimmied into my jacket. One of the car's wheels was shimmying.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The singer walked into the audience and danced alongside Swift and Post Malone before approaching Cabello for a little Cuban-Colombian shimmy. —

Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024 In response, Jordana does a quick shimmy in her seat and then reaches for Alipour, who then grabs her by the hair. —

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 5 July 2024

Verb

Connie Britton shimmied by while being fed a chocolate chip cookie by her date. —

Ryma Chikhoune, WWD, 16 Sep. 2024 Hands free: Try to shake and shimmy the bowl with the sugar to coat the dough without having to get your hands dirty. —

Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shimmy

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shimmy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.