chuckle

verb

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

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 gravelB. 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
chuckle noun
chucklesome adjective
chucklingly 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The only Amazon series that has come close to Clarkson’s Farm is LOL: Last One Laughing UK, which chuckled along with audiences of up to 3.1M earlier this year. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 7 June 2025 When asked if he often gets recognized in public, the singer-songwriter chuckled. Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025 McBride chuckled that her recent conditioning was on the bike two days ago and a team practice Monday. Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 28 May 2025 And the plot is just awful, crammed with so many cliches that you’re barely done chuckling at one before another kicks you in the head. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for chuckle

Word History

Etymology

probably frequentative of chuck entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chuckle was circa 1770

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuckle. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

chuckle

verb
chuck·​le ˈchək-əl How to pronounce chuckle (audio)
chuckled; chuckling
ˈchək-(ə-)liŋ
: to laugh in a quiet way
chuckle noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chuckle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!