What does shimmy mean?
To shimmy is to move quickly from side to side, usually in time with music. The movement may involve the feet, hips, shoulders, or the whole body, and it often has a playful, lively quality. As a noun, a shimmy is a kind of side-to-side dance movement or a brief action performed in this manner. The word is informal and is especially common in descriptions of dancing, entertainment, and energetic physical movement. It can also suggest a smaller, quicker motion, such as a nervous or restless shimmy. In everyday use, the word conveys rhythmic motion more strongly than a general sway or dance. Its association with popular and social dancing makes it especially vivid when describing someone moving enthusiastically to music.
To move one's feet or body rapidly from side to side, especially while dancing.
"He started to shimmy whenever the band played a fast number."
Informal; often used with the hips, shoulders, feet, or whole body.
A lively, rapid movement from side to side, especially a dance movement.
"The performer ended the routine with an energetic shimmy."
The singular can also describe a brief movement of this kind, not only a formal dance.
The plural is used for separate shimmy movements or dance routines.
"The audience enjoyed the colorful shimmies performed during the finale."
A shimmy turns a simple sway into a burst of rhythmic movement, especially when the hips and shoulders join in.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shimmy come from?
The precise origin of shimmy is uncertain, and its connection with earlier dance terminology is not fully clear. The word was established in English by the early nineteenth century for a lively sideways movement. No reliable group of modern cognates can be given without risking false associations. Its development as both a verb and a noun reflects the common English pattern of turning an action into the name of the movement itself.
Related word forms
How shimmy is actually used
The word is informal and strongly associated with dancing or rhythmic movement. It can describe a whole dance movement or, more specifically, a quick side-to-side action of the hips or shoulders.
Easily confused with shimmy
A shim is a thin piece of material used to fill a gap or support something, whereas a shimmy is a rapid side-to-side movement or dance.
Swagger involves a confident, often strutting walk, while shimmy specifically emphasizes quick side-to-side movement.