verb / noun

squirm

SKWURM/skwɜːrm/

To wriggle or react uneasily from discomfort.

The man squirms in his seat and pulls at his itchy collar.

A seated man squirms from an itchy shirt collar, twisting his torso sideways and lifting one shoulder while pulling the collar away from his neck.

Etymology

Its origin is unknown, but “squirm” originally described the writhing of eels. That bodily motion also became an image for inward emotional discomfort, connecting physical twisting with embarrassment.

In context

YIyi Manhua53:43

Although Pingping fussed and cried, he didn t squirm around too much. Seeing that Luo Chen had finished cleaning the baby

Shocking! The Campus Beauty Gave Birth to Twins for Me at the Very Beginning!#novel

More examples

He squirms when his friends bring up his embarrassing mistake.
The toddler squirms as I fasten her car seat straps.
With an uncomfortable squirm, she shifts away from the rough cushion.

Forms

squirm · squirms · squirmed · squirming

squirmy adjective — Restless and likely to wriggle.

Similar words

wriggle: Emphasizes twisting movements without necessarily suggesting discomfort or embarrassment.
fidget: Suggests small, repeated restless movements rather than bodily twisting.
writhe: Suggests stronger twisting movements, often caused by intense pain.