waddle

1 of 2

verb

wad·​dle ˈwä-dᵊl How to pronounce waddle (audio)
waddled; waddling
ˈwäd-liŋ,
ˈwä-dᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce waddle (audio)

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 How to pronounce waddle (audio)
noun

waddle

2 of 2

noun

: an awkward clumsy swaying gait

Examples of waddle in a Sentence

Verb He waddled down the hallway. A fat goose waddled across the yard.
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.
Verb
In a recent video shared by the aquarium, Pesto can be seen waddling around in his enclosure as usual. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024 Does this proposition hold for a chatbot? Minsky, arguably, began with a duck that waddled onto the world stage in 1738, in France, the third of three automata built by an inventor named Jacques de Vaucanson. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Noun
In the video, Chu lays out food for Sage, but Sasha quickly hears the sound of the food and waddles into the kitchen. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Farrell’s Penguin is heavily scarred, walks with a waddle due to his club foot, and has an overbearing mother. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for waddle 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of waddle was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near waddle

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

waddle

1 of 2 verb
wad·​dle ˈwäd-ᵊl How to pronounce waddle (audio)
waddled; waddling ˈwäd-liŋ How to pronounce waddle (audio)
-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 How to pronounce waddle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

waddle

2 of 2 noun
: an awkward swaying walk

More from Merriam-Webster on waddle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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