chortle

[chawr-tl]

See more synonyms for chortle on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), chor·tled, chor·tling.

to chuckle gleefully.

verb (used with object), chor·tled, chor·tling.

to express with a gleeful chuckle: to chortle one's joy.

noun

a gleeful chuckle.

Origin of chortle

blend of chuckle and snort; coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass (1871)

Related formschor·tler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for chortling

snicker, giggle, cackle, chuckle, crow, titter, snort, guffaw, hee-haw, sniggle

Examples from the Web for chortling

Contemporary Examples of chortling

The glee and chortling that greeted Mr. Smith is a sign of bitterness and a focus on the past rather than the future.
Why Was Executive Greg Smith Shocked by Greed at Goldman Sachs?
Zachary Karabell
March 15, 2012
But they are chortling about how ham-handed Burson's PR guys were.
Facebook Smear Blame Game
Dan Lyons
May 13, 2011

Historical Examples of chortling

"'Course they'll all get together to-morrow and have it in for us," said the Gutter Pup, chortling.
Skippy Bedelle
Owen Johnson
A faint hoot came to them through the chortling of the wind.
The Pillar of Light
Louis Tracy
They were chortling, pointing at each other, mugging for the camera.
Makers
Cory Doctorow
"Yes," said the other, chortling over the "copy" his colleagues were missing.
The Postmaster's Daughter
Louis Tracy
It was then that Gwendolyn heard the nurse muttering and chortling to herself.
The Poor Little Rich Girl
Eleanor Gates

British Dictionary definitions for chortling

chortle

verb

(intr) to chuckle gleefully

noun

a gleeful chuckle

Derived Formschortler, noun

Word Origin for chortle

C19: coined (1871) by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-glass; probably a blend of chuckle + snort

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

Word Origin and History for chortling

chortle

coined 1872 by Lewis Carroll in "Through the Looking Glass," perhaps from chuckle and snort. Related: Chortled; chortling. As a noun, from 1903.