jingle

1 of 2

verb

jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl 

jingled; jingling ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to make a light clinking or tinkling sound

2

: to rhyme or sound in a catchy repetitious manner

transitive verb

: to cause to jingle

jingler

ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)lər 

noun

jingle

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a light clinking or tinkling sound

b

: a catchy repetition of sounds in a poem

2

a

: something that jingles

b

: a short verse or song marked by catchy repetition

jingly

ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• chink
• clink
• tingle
• tinkle

Noun

• chime(s)
• tinkle
• tintinnabulation

Examples of jingle in a Sentence

Verb

Bells jingled in the distance.

She jingled the coins in her pocket.

Noun

I heard the jingle of bells.

the jingle of change in my pocket

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Clarkson’s tune jingles its way from No. 12 to No. 10, entering the top 10 for the first time, years after it was first released. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

This winter, tastemakers are jingling all the way with purses bedecked in handbag charms. —Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 17 Dec. 2024

Noun

Just the same damn jingles and dings as Bally’s though. —Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024

Picture show Robin Lubbock/WBUR Zildjian cymbals can be heard in everything from rock music to advertising jingles. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ginglen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Video

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

Some imitative words are more surprising than others

Kids Definition

jingle

1 of 2 verb

jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl 

jingled; jingling -g(ə-)liŋ 

: to make or cause to make a light clinking sound

coins jingled in their pockets

jingler

-g(ə-)lər 

noun

jingle

2 of 2 noun

1

: a light clinking sound

2

: a catchy repetition of sounds in a poem

3

: a verse or song marked by catchy repetition

jingly

-g(ə-)lē 

adjective