tickle
verb
tick·le
| \ ˈti-kəl
\
\
tickled;
tickling\ ˈti-k(ə-)liŋ
\
\
Definition of tickle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to touch (a body part, a person, etc.) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
2a
: to excite or stir up agreeably : please
music … does more than tickle our sense of rhythm— Edward Sapir
b
: to provoke to laughter or merriment : amuse
were tickled by the clown's antics
3
: to touch or stir gently
a pianist tickling the ivories
1
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
my back tickles
2
: to excite the surface nerves to prickle
tickle
nounDefinition of tickle (Entry 2 of 2)
Examples of tickle in a Sentence
Verb
Her little brother screamed with laughter as she tickled him. The tag on the sweater tickled his neck. My nose started to tickle. Don't touch me there; it tickles. We were tickled by the invitation. The idea of going to the party tickled her.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
In that case, head for Oga’s Cantina, where delights like the Fuzzy Tauntaun ($16) not only tickle the palate with citrus and peach flavors (the vodka and schnapps help) but tingle the lips – literally. — Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "At Galaxy’s Edge, food and drink are another layer in the Star Wars experience," 28 Aug. 2019 Sondheim’s lyrics can always be counted on for tickling cleverness, but performers sometimes gild the lily with silly mugging. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Into the Woods’ and stars align in magical night at the Hollywood Bowl," 28 July 2019 In the age of social media, the owners of most brands are tickled pink when images of their products go viral. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "The Wrong Sort of Viral Advertising," 8 July 2019 Just picked off the stalk, leaves ripped open like a birthday present, right there in the field, with the weeds tickling your calves, and the sun warming your shoulders, every crunchy bite messy and unapologetic. — Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The New Berlin Lions Club corn roast at Wisconsin State Fair has a sweet story - especially for youth groups," 29 July 2019 The show, so unwilling to get sentimental and emotionally manipulate viewers, still tickles with its unapologetic and masterful embrace of the frivolous. — Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "With ‘Seinfeld,’ the devilishness was in the details," 27 June 2019 Cyrus pretended to lick her husband's shoulder while Hemsworth tickled her stomach directly in front of the flashing cameras. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Miley Cyrus Trolls Breakup Rumors and Wished Liam Hemsworth a Happy Anniversary," 12 June 2019 Duncan Babcock provided the musical entertainment, tickling the ivories of his boogie-woogie piano. — Steve Smith, courant.com, "Vernon Seniors Celebrate 4th Of July," 11 July 2018 It is located atop the highest of Shinnecock’s eponymous hills, giving golfers a beautiful view of trees and fescue and hospitality tents to enjoy while a breeze tickles their faces. — Stephanie Apstein, SI.com, "Lengthened and Unforgiving, 14th Hole Is the Most Dreaded at Shinnecock Hills in U.S. Open," 15 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
If your funny bone needs a weekend tickle, though, check out one of the shows at ComedySportz San Jose. — Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, "No joke: San Jose Improv going dark for an interior makeover," 20 Aug. 2019 Try the Baldwin, an orange Fanta of a cocktail with this lovely little tickle of ginger. — Washington Post, "Zeppelin is fun, but its sushi doesn’t quite fly," 1 Aug. 2019 Thank you for constantly showing our children love, adventures, and embracing them with endless cuddles and tickles. — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE.com, "'Thank You for These Two Beautiful Coconuts!' The Absolute Sweetest Celeb Posts from Father's Day 2019," 17 June 2019 The music’s own, natural flourishes start to come through and just tickle (instead of bludgeoning) my pleasure receptors. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Audio-Technica R70x review: the definition of neutral headphones," 6 July 2018 King of the hill After Saturday’s brouhaha with the Reds, sparked by Amir Garrett’s reaction to striking out Baez, the Cubs lead the majors in bullpen-clearing incidents that have resulted in nothing worse than a tickle. — Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Time for the Manny Machado watch to go into overdrive in Chicago," 20 May 2018 Aunt Lucy has a deep love for her friends and family, a great sense of humor, and a laugh that feels like a tickle. — Sally Kohn, Time, "I Was a Liberal Who Worked at Fox News. Here's What That Taught Me About Arguing Politics," 10 Apr. 2018 Coughing can be maddening, from that first tickle in your throat to dealing with the stuff that might come up with each heave. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here’s When to See a Doctor About That Persistent Cough," 7 Apr. 2018 The blend of fresh herbs and the fish sauce spiked with tamarind tickles every region of the tongue. — Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "The Temple Club: Vietnamese food you can’t get anywhere else," 2 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tickle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for tickle
tickle
verb
English Language Learners Definition of tickle
: to try to make (someone) laugh by lightly touching a very sensitive part of the body with your fingers, a feather, etc.
: to have or cause a slightly uncomfortable feeling on a part of your body
: to please or amuse (someone or something)
See the full definition for tickle in the English Language Learners Dictionary
tickle
verb
tick·le
| \ ˈti-kəl
\
\
tickled;
tickling
Kids Definition of tickle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
My nose tickles.
2
: to touch (a body part) lightly so as to cause laughter or jerky movements
I tickled the baby's feet.
3
: to excite or stir up agreeably
This food tickles my taste buds.
4
: amuse sense 2
… Avery was tickled to find himself so wet …— E. B. White, Charlotte's Web.
tickle
nounKids Definition of tickle (Entry 2 of 2)
: a tingling or prickling sensation
tickle
verb
tick·le
| \ ˈtik-əl
\
\
tickled;
tickling\ -(ə-)liŋ
\
\