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
Synonym Usage
See laugh.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chuckle
Explanation
Chuckle is as fun to say as it is to do. In fact, just the sound of the word chuckle may make you feeling like chuckling, or laughing softly. Chuckle is one of many words for different kinds of laughter. These include giggle, titter, snicker, and a word that is a cross between chuckle and snort — chortle. These words are all imitative. That is, the word itself sounds like the noise it refers to. With all these words for laughter, it may be hard to choose the right one for the occasion. Use chuckle when you mean a quiet, even soundless laugh.
Vocabulary lists containing chuckle
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 4
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Sula
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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.
“His paycheck was only around $1,000 at the time,” she recalled with a chuckle, holding back tears.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Trump then said, before adding with a chuckle: "I think you could."
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
"I probably would have shut up in the press far earlier," he says with a chuckle.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
“I always chuckle a little bit when I see these reports in the paper,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Today in literature class I stood up to give my presentation and I made a little joke, and T laughed, a genuine chuckle, and afterward he told me it was a funny joke.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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.
