What does wedgie mean?
Wedgie is an informal word with several closely related meanings. Its principal noun sense names a close-fitting brief, particularly the narrow-cut style traditionally associated with children's underwear. The word can also denote the prank of pulling or tugging someone's underwear upward, a practice that may be playful between friends but teasing or bullying when unwanted. A further humorous sense refers to a fold or crease of compressed skin, especially on the abdomen, that resembles the garment. The vocabulary is chiefly associated with North American English, though it is also understood in Britain. Although the word's history is associated with the distinctive shape and use of children's briefs, its modern usage extends beyond the garment itself to childish jokes and awkward underwear-related moments. It is consequently a useful example of how a specific name for an everyday object can develop a broader, humorous slang life.
A close-fitting brief, especially the narrow-cut style of children's underpants; by extension, an underwear-related prank or a crease of compressed skin resembling the garment.
"She bought a pack of soft cotton wedgies for the baby."
The senses involving a prank and compressed skin are informal and often humorous.
To pull or tug someone's underwear upward as a prank.
"A mischievous cousin gave his brother a wedgie."
Informal and potentially teasing or bullying, depending on the participants and context.
The plural is also commonly used when referring collectively to the style of underwear.
"The package contained three plain wedgies."
A tiny garment with a surprisingly expansive slang life: it can name underwear, a prank, and even a crease in skin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wedgie come from?
The precise origin of the word is uncertain, and its relationship to wedge should not be assumed despite the resemblance in spelling and pronunciation. It developed in colloquial English as a name for a distinctive kind of brief and was subsequently extended to the prank of pulling someone's underwear upward and to bodily folds resembling the garment.
Related word forms
How wedgie is actually used
The word is informal and often playful, but references to the prank can imply teasing, embarrassment, or bullying. The garment sense is familiar in everyday North American English and is also understood in Britain.
Easily confused with wedgie
A wedge is a solid shape or tool that tapers to a narrow end, whereas a wedgie is an item of underwear or an informal term for an underwear-related prank.