squirmed
past simple and past participle ofsquirm
squirm
verb[I]
uk/skwɜːm/us/skwɝːm/tomovefromsidetosidein anawkwardway, sometimes because ofnervousness,embarrassment, orpain:
Nobodyspokefor at least fiveminutesand Rachel squirmed in herchairwithembarrassment.
Thefishsquirmed on thegroundfor a fewmomentsand thenlaystill.
Synonyms
twist
wriggle
writhe
tofeelnervousorembarrassedabout something:
Sal wouldoccasionallysquirmathisparents'behaviour.
- Shebegantofidgetand squirm,unabletofindacomfortableposition.
- Ifyourchildsquirms andfusseswhen youstartunfoldingthestroller,lethimwalk.
- At first, she squirmed at thethoughtoftouchingthescalyanimal.
- Someindustrywatcherssquirm about thetrendbecause ofitselitistimplications.
Making short, sudden movements
- aquiver
- convulse
- convulsion
- convulsive
- cringe
- flick
- jerkiness
- jerky
- jig
- jiggle
- jiggly
- pull away
- quiver
- shrink
- shudder
- squirm
- tremulous
- whip
- worry atsomething
- wriggle
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Ashamed and embarrassed
Anxious and worried
Examplesofsquirmed
squirmed
In English, many past and present participles of verbs can be used as adjectives. Some of these examples may show the adjective use.
Criticssquirmed, but the public kept filling the theater.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Exactly, theysquirmedall through it.
From theCambridge English Corpus
It is those who have changed—wriggled andsquirmedfrom positionto position with nothing more than political opportunism in mind—whom one cannot respect.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Others of a more negative turn of mind simplysquirmedat the idea of so significant an extension of parental choice of school.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
As the hours passed, they changed their position andsquirmedabout their so-called policy initiative.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
His own friends havesquirmedunder it as much as we have.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Hesquirmedabout trying to give reasons for changing his principles and giving up devolution, but there is only one real reason.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
How he must havesquirmedwhen he had to do it.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We legallysquirmedthis way and that, here and there.
From
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.The result was that he didn't take it cleanly and itsquirmedunder him and over the line.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Theysquirmedbut weren't about to change their minds...
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Clicky-ba thundered, and men with crushed headssquirmedon the path.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.The batsquirmedunder his claw.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Wesquirmedand the actors wept.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
- misguided
- misguided attempt
- misguidedly
- misguided policy
- mishandle
- mishandled
- mishandling
- mishap
- mishear
- mishit
- mishmash
- misidentification
- misidentify
- misinform
- misinformation
- misinformed
- misinforming
- misinterpret
- misinterpretation
- misinterpreted
- misinterpreting
- misjudge
- misjudged
- misjudging
- misjudgment