chuckled; chuckling; chuckles
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
B. A. Williams
: 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
E. B. WhiteExamples 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
There’s a touch of whimsy to this cottage-style residence in Reisterstown, as though the builder chuckled all through its construction on a quiet cul-de-sac near Liberty Reservoir.
—Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 22 May 2025
Fans all over the stadium instantly responded with more enthusiasm and volume while others chuckled at the callout.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 16 May 2025
To date, the post has been liked more than 1.3 million times, drawing in amused comments from viewers who have chuckled over the golden retriever poodle mix's behavior after the couple fell out.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
The workers, in shock, started laughing, and Alvarez couldn’t help but chuckle at her grandma’s bold statement.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chuckle
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.
Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 22 May 2025
Fans all over the stadium instantly responded with more enthusiasm and volume while others chuckled at the callout.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 16 May 2025
To date, the post has been liked more than 1.3 million times, drawing in amused comments from viewers who have chuckled over the golden retriever poodle mix's behavior after the couple fell out.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
The workers, in shock, started laughing, and Alvarez couldn’t help but chuckle at her grandma’s bold statement.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chuckle
Cite this Entry
“Chuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuckle. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chuckle
verb
chuck·le
ˈchək-əl 
chuckled; chuckling
ˈchək-(ə-)liŋ
: to laugh in a quiet way
chuckle
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share