jangle

[ jang-guhl ]
See synonyms for: janglejanglingjangly on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),jan·gled, jan·gling.
  1. to produce a harsh, discordant sound, as two comparatively small, thin, or hollow pieces of metal hitting together: The charms on her bracelet jangle as she moves.

  2. to speak angrily; wrangle.

verb (used with object),jan·gled, jan·gling.
  1. to cause to make a harsh, discordant, usually metallic sound: He jangled the pots and pans.

  2. to cause to become irritated or upset: The loud noise of the motors jangled his nerves.

noun
  1. a harsh or discordant sound.

  2. an argument, dispute, or quarrel.

Origin of jangle

1
1250–1300; Middle English janglen<Old French jangler<Germanic; compare Middle Dutch jangelen to haggle, whine

Other words from jangle

  • jangler, noun
  • jangly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use jangle in a sentence

  • “I have no words to describe what just happened on the court,” Tsitsipas told ESPN’s Jim Courier in an on-court interview, crediting the victory to his ability to manage his emotions after starting out a jangle of nerves.

  • The hip-hop had given way to traditional beats, the jangling guitars of an Oliver Mtukudzi song.

    My Parents' Brothel | Douglas Rogers | December 6, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • The jangling of small gate-bells made the hillside merry for an instant, then busy silence again took possession.

    The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil Fenollosa
  • I heard the jangling piano playing an accompaniment to the flute-like whistling of Harry Herndon's negro.

    A Little Union Scout | Joel Chandler Harris
  • There were no jangling horse-car bells nor dust to disturb him, and almost all the other tables were unoccupied.

    Gallegher and Other Stories | Richard Harding Davis
  • They had canvas covers and were drawn by four horses always, sometimes six and eight, carrying jangling bells upon their collars.

    Historic Fredericksburg | John T. Goolrick
  • Such a jangling of harness, such a flashing of polished surfaces!

    Mary Gray | Katharine Tynan

British Dictionary definitions for jangle

jangle

/ (ˈdʒæŋɡəl) /


verb
  1. to sound or cause to sound discordantly, harshly, or unpleasantly: the telephone jangled

  2. (tr) to produce a jarring effect on: the accident jangled his nerves

  1. an archaic word for wrangle

noun
  1. a harsh, unpleasant ringing noise

  2. an argument or quarrel

Origin of jangle

1
C13: from Old French jangler, of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch jangelen to whine, complain

Derived forms of jangle

  • jangler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012