1 chuckle | Definition of chuckle

chuckle

verb
chuck·​le | \ ˈchə-kᵊl How to pronounce chuckle (audio) \
chuckled; chuckling; chuckles

Definition of chuckle

intransitive verb

1 : to laugh inwardly or quietly He chuckled as he read the comic strip.
2 : to make a continuous gentle sound resembling suppressed (see suppress sense 5a) mirth the clear bright water chuckled over gravel— B. A. Williams

transitive verb

: to utter with a chuckle Templeton grinned. "I'll tend to this," he chuckled. He took Wilbur's tail in his mouth and bit it … . The pain revived Wilbur.— E. B. White

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from chuckle

chuckle noun
chucklesome \ ˈchə-​kᵊl-​səm How to pronounce chucklesome (audio) \ adjective
chucklingly \ ˈchə-​kᵊl-​iŋ-​lē How to pronounce chucklingly (audio) \ adverb

Examples of chuckle in a Sentence

She chuckled at the memory of what he had said. everyone dutifully chuckled at the professor's intended jokes

Recent Examples on the Web

Rozmiarek decided to use his platform to try to make people chuckle while driving through Indian Hills, population just over 1,000. — Cathy Free, Washington Post, "Why this man has become internationally beloved for his dad jokes on a roadside sign," 27 Aug. 2019 The Spanish radio commentator sitting next to me just chuckled and told his listeners this has been a great back-and-forth game. — Kevin Baxter, latimes.com, "Women’s World Cup recap: Megan Rapinoe lifts U.S. to a 2-1 win over Spain," 24 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chuckle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of chuckle

circa 1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for chuckle

probably frequentative of chuck entry 1

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for chuckle

chuckle

verb

English Language Learners Definition of chuckle

: to laugh in a quiet way

chuckle

verb
chuck·​le | \ ˈchə-kəl How to pronounce chuckle (audio) \
chuckled; chuckling

Kids Definition of chuckle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to laugh in a quiet way

chuckle

noun

Kids Definition of chuckle (Entry 2 of 2)

: a low quiet laugh

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on chuckle

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with chuckle

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chuckle

Spanish Central: Translation of chuckle

Nglish: Translation of chuckle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of chuckle for Arabic Speakers

×

You're never
too cool to learn something new.

Sign up for our Word of the Day
daily newsletter!