waddle

1 of 2

verb

wad·​dle ˈwä-dᵊl 

waddled; waddling

ˈwäd-liŋ,

ˈwä-dᵊl-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to walk with short steps swinging the forepart of the body from side to side

2

: to move clumsily in a manner suggesting a waddle

waddler

ˈwäd-lər

ˈwä-dᵊl-ər 

noun

waddle

2 of 2

noun

: an awkward clumsy swaying gait

Synonyms

Verb

• careen
• dodder
• lurch
• reel
• stagger
• teeter
• totter

Examples of waddle in a Sentence

Verb

He waddled down the hallway.

A fat goose waddled across the yard.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In the Emerald City sequence, two chickens in top hats waddle across a crowd scene. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024

The emperor penguin that made global headlines after waddling ashore on a beach in Australia has been released back into the wild. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024

Noun

Poor circulation in his legs has turned his walk into more of a waddle. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

Cut out the turkey's beak and waddle from the red and orange vinyl or colored paper. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

frequentative of wade

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1691, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

waddle

1 of 2 verb

wad·​dle ˈwäd-ᵊl 

waddled; waddling ˈwäd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to walk with short steps swaying from side to side

ducks waddling to the water

2

: to move slowly and awkwardly

the big boat waddled upstream

waddler

-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun

waddle

2 of 2 noun

: an awkward swaying walk