tickled; tickling
ˈti-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to touch (a body part, a person, etc.) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
2
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
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
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2025
The creature, with its small eyes, a pink, sniffling nose, and gray spikes that did not hurt but only tickled, did not have a name.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
The result was some remembered pain, but lately it’s been a bit of a pleasant tickle.
—Rob Rossi, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tickle
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show current usage.
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Verb
One of my favorite recent finds is a Korean-language creator sprinting between the left and right channels of the mic, landing critical-hits on your ears by tickling both sides in a mad volley.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2025
The creature, with its small eyes, a pink, sniffling nose, and gray spikes that did not hurt but only tickled, did not have a name.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Noun
The bar is so low, and what people seem to want from them — a tickle of nostalgia, the familiar rendered new on a technicality, 109 minutes of child-friendly distraction — feels so different from the usual standards.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
The result was some remembered pain, but lately it’s been a bit of a pleasant tickle.
—Rob Rossi, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tickle
Cite this Entry
“Tickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tickle. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tickle
1 of 2 verb
tick·le
ˈtik-əl
tickled; tickling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to touch a body part lightly so as to cause uneasiness, laughter, or jerky movements
2
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
3
a
: to excite or stir up agreeably : please
food that tickles your taste buds
b
: to stir to laughter or merriment
were tickled by the clown's antics
tickler
noun
ˈtik-(ə-)lər
tickle
2 of 2 noun1
: the act of tickling
2
: a tickling sensation
3
: something that tickles
Medical Definition
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