twerking

noun

twerk·​ing ˈtwər-kiŋ How to pronounce twerking (audio)
: sexually suggestive dancing characterized by rapid, repeated hip thrusts and shaking of the buttocks especially while squatting
twerking has become a catch-all for an overtly sexualized style of dancing wherein one manipulates the hips and posterior in an often hypnotic and physics-defying bounce.Luke O'Neil
twerk intransitive verb
twerked; twerking; twerks
As my family watched in horror, I began to twerk, crouching down and bouncing my booty … Libby Gelman-Waxner

Examples of twerking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The result of that experiment is Sue (Margaret Qualley), who gets her own show that involves a bunch more twerking and gyrating. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2024 But the rapper censored her lyrics, swapped out her shimmering leotard for a sleek blue pantsuit, and reeled in the twerking. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2024 The New York native's latest video has it all — Ice Spice on display in a museum, her twerking while holding a stack of money (and a torch, of course) as the Statue of Liberty, and Scott, 33, apparently rapping his verse from atop the monument itself. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 26 July 2024 But there’s not enough cash to save it No twerking. Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for twerking 

Word History

Etymology

twerk, phonesthemic coinage, perhaps with elements of twist entry 1 and jerk entry 1

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of twerking was in 2001

Dictionary Entries Near twerking

Cite this Entry

“Twerking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twerking. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!