chortle
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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chortlesimple
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chortlessimple
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have chortledperfect
-
has chortledperfect
-
am chortlingprogressive
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are chortlingprogressive
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is chortlingprogressive
-
have been chortlingperfect progressive
-
has been chortlingperfect progressive
Past
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chortledsimple
-
had chortledperfect
-
was chortlingprogressive
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were chortlingprogressive
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had been chortlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chortle
Blend of chuckle and snort; coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass (1871)
Explanation
A chortle is a joyful, partly muffled laugh. If you have a toddler, you will recognize the sound of a delighted chortle, sort of louder and a bit more raucous than a giggle. In 1871, Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice in Wonderland, coined the word chortle in the poem "Jabberwocky," about a son who slays a monster and comes back to his relieved and happy father: "'O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy." Experts consider the word a blend of the words chuckle and snort and the laugh itself is also a cross between the two. You may chortle in glee if you find out your work nemesis just got a new job in another office — out of state.
Vocabulary lists containing chortle
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
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List 8
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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.
State Department ordered its embassy personnel out of Ukraine and issued a “do not travel” alert regarding the country, the U.K. comedy website Chortle reported on C.K.'s planned dates in Kyiv.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2022
Cabin fever seems to have set in with the group, after an article on comedy website Chortle about the situation gave John Robins top billing.
From BBC • Jan. 6, 2018
Having won two Chortle Comedy awards for last year's Maximum Nonsense show, he stops off at Glastonbury en route to Edinburgh.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2014
The space will be called Topside during the festival, and – according to Chortle – was secured after "a tough bidding war" against the other "big four" Fringe venues.
From The Guardian • May 7, 2013
In industry news, Chortle reports that the TV standup and panel show boom has not benefited grassroots comedy.
From The Guardian • Oct. 10, 2012
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.
