giggle
Americanverb
noun
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such a laugh
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informal something or someone that provokes amusement
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a fit of prolonged and uncontrollable giggling
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informal as a joke or prank; not seriously
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has giggledperfect 3rd person singular
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have giggledperfect
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are gigglingprogressive
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have been gigglingperfect progressive
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am gigglingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been gigglingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is gigglingprogressive 3rd person singular
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gigglingparticiple
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gigglessingular 3rd person
Past
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had giggledperfect
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were gigglingprogressive plural
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giggledparticiple
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giggledsimple
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was gigglingprogressive singular
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had been gigglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of giggle
1500–10; imitative; compare Dutch gigelen, German gickeln. See -le
Explanation
If you laugh with a dainty tee-hee-hee, you giggle. Children giggle a lot. Big strong men are more likely to guffaw or issue a big belly laugh. The word giggle has been around since about the 16th century, and yet, it has no Latin or Greek roots. Most likely the word is an imitation of the silly sound you make when you laugh like this. If you and your friends have hidden a frog on your teacher's desk, when she enters the room and moves towards it, you will probably begin giggling — you know something funny is about to happen and you're a little nervous about it.
Vocabulary lists containing giggle
Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Charlotte's Web": Chapter One
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I try to remember how his voice sounded... how he would giggle," she said.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Their favorite move is a gasp-laugh, as when they flash a gruesome image on screen that’s so disgusting you can’t help but giggle.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
As the title declares, there are traces of him everywhere, including Diem’s giggle.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
The name makes me giggle like a kid.
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026
I was just working my lure in close to the boat when I heard the boy giggle quietly, and I turned to see him reaching out to touch a fawn.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
