chuckle
Americanverb (used without object)
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to laugh softly or amusedly, usually with satisfaction.
They chuckled at the child's efforts to walk.
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to laugh to oneself.
to chuckle while reading.
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Obsolete. to cluck, as a fowl.
noun
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a soft laugh, usually of satisfaction.
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Obsolete. the cluck of a hen.
verb
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to laugh softly or to oneself
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(of animals, esp hens) to make a clucking sound
noun
Related Words
See laugh.
Other Word Forms
- chuckler noun
- chucklingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of chuckle
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.
When my new friend chuckles, I join in.
From Literature
But he chuckled when asked about the speakers upstairs, revealing that he was far too busy to get involved in the actual politics of CPAC.
From Barron's
“I’m not going to dismiss the case,” Hellerstein said, prompting chuckles in the packed courtroom.
The man was clearly taken aback, some of the other patrons chuckling in surprise, the Dodger pulse of this town clearly resonating in a completely unusual fashion.
From Los Angeles Times
For the rest of the evening I could hear Father chuckling, “Psalm 166!”
From Literature
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.
