Meaning & use
twigged
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“twigged” is a form of “twig”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveinformalBritish
Suddenly understood or realized something.
Grammar: Can be used with or without an object: I twigged the answer or I twigged at once.
Patterns
- twig something
- twig that ...
- twig what/why/how ...
She twigged that he was lying when he avoided her eyes.
I finally twigged what the instructions meant.
He twigged the joke and laughed.
verbtransitiveinformalBritish
Perceived or noticed something.
Grammar: Takes an object: twig a sound, twig a change.
Patterns
- twig something
The dog twigged the scent and ran off.
She twigged the change in his tone immediately.
Word forms
| third person singular | twigs |
|---|---|
| past tense | twigged |
| past participle | twigged |
| -ing form | twigging |
Common combinations
- twig something
- She twigged the answer before anyone else.
- twig that ...
- He twigged that she was upset.
- twig what ...
- I twigged what he meant.
- finally twig
- She finally twigged after he explained.
Synonyms and how they differ
- realize
- More formal and neutral; twig is informal and common in British English.
- understand
- Broader; twig suggests a sudden moment of realization.
- catch on
- Similar informal meaning but often implies a slower process.
Word family
- twig verb
- Base form meaning to understand or notice.
Commonly confused: twigged or twinge?
twigged vs twinge
A sudden sharp pain; not related to understanding.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
Twig is followed directly by a that-clause without a preposition. The other options incorrectly insert prepositions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “twigged”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.