When you wiggle around in your seat because you are anxious about what is coming next, this is an example of squirm.
- to twist and turn the body in a snakelike movement; wriggle; writhe
- to show or feel distress, as from painful embarrassment, humiliation, etc.
Origin of squirmprobably suggestive of the action of the verb , influenced, influence by worm
intransitive verbsquirmed, squirm·ing, squirms
- To twist about in a wriggling, snakelike motion; writhe.
- To feel or exhibit signs of humiliation or embarrassment.
- The act of squirming.
- A squirming movement.
Origin of squirmOrigin unknown
(third-person singular simple present squirms, present participle squirming, simple past and past participle squirmed)
- To twist one's body with snakelike motions.
- The prisoner managed to squirm out of the straitjacket.
- To twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment.
- I recounted the embarrassing story in detail just to watch him squirm.
- To evade (a question, an interviewer etc).
- (figuratively) To move in a slow, irregular motion.
- A twisting, snakelike movement of the body.
Unknown. Perhaps imitative.