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
shimmied; shimmying
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
The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 12 July 2024
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
Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
As Lady Gaga strutted out and shimmied in a shimmering flapper-like ensemble, complete with a magnificent lob and feather coat, the chart-topping artist — tonight pulling double-duty as musical guest and host of Saturday Night Live — had no trouble turning the joke on herself.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shimmy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
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
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
Verb
The magic lies in the lure’s unique hexagonal metal lip that creates incredible flash and vibration, causing the rubber skirt tail and any soft-plastic trailer to shimmy wildly.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
As Lady Gaga strutted out and shimmied in a shimmering flapper-like ensemble, complete with a magnificent lob and feather coat, the chart-topping artist — tonight pulling double-duty as musical guest and host of Saturday Night Live — had no trouble turning the joke on herself.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shimmy
Cite this Entry
“Shimmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shimmy. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share