shimmy

1 of 2

noun

shim·​my ˈshi-mē 

plural shimmies

1

[by alteration] : chemise

2

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

3

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

shimmy

2 of 2

verb

shimmied; shimmying

intransitive verb

1

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

2

: to vibrate abnormally

—used especially of automobiles

3

: 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 taunts followed a Game 1 in which Beasley repeatedly initiated contact with Jalen Brunson, even during stoppages, and punctuated 3-pointers with a celebratory shimmy. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025

In the example below, Kane shimmies towards Jude Bellingham on the ball (white arrow) despite a gap opening up between Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake (black arrow/area). —The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 12 July 2024

Verb

Next come the gadgets: the Snoo, a shimmying bassinet that allegedly makes babies sleep for at least an hour longer than a typical crib; the Nanit, an eye-of-Sauron-style video monitor; Owlet, a sock-like heart-rate and oxygen sensor that turns your baby’s crib into a mini NICU. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025

Of the thousands of shirts sold, the number of bold-faced names that have shimmied their shoulders into the piece is long: first up was Haider Ackermann, and then the designer was quickly joined by the likes of Pedro Pascal, Troye Sivan, Addison Rae and more. —Sam Manzella, Them., 1 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shimmy

• gimme
• jimmy
• synonymy