chuckle

[ chuhk-uhl ]

/ ˈtʃʌk əl /

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See synonyms for: chuckle / chuckled / chuckling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), chuck·led, chuck·ling.

to laugh softly or amusedly, usually with satisfaction: They chuckled at the child's efforts to walk.

to laugh to oneself: to chuckle while reading.

Obsolete. to cluck, as a fowl.

noun

a soft laugh, usually of satisfaction.

Obsolete. the cluck of a hen.

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Origin of chuckle

First recorded in 1590–1600; chuck³ + -le

synonym study for chuckle

4. See laugh.

OTHER WORDS FROM chuckle

chuckler, nounchuck·ling·ly, adverb

Words nearby chuckle

chucker-out, chuck-full, chuckhole, chuckie, chuck in, chuckle, chucklehead, chuck off, chuck out, chuck wagon, chuckwalla

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use chuckle in a sentence

TikTok videos of Ugg boots are one way to do it, and one that can prompt a cringe and a chuckle.
C’mon C’mon tries, just a little, to stop time|Alissa Wilkinson|November 19, 2021|Vox
That punchline is met with what can only be described as a sad chuckle.
Does Jon Stewart Still Want to Be Funny?|Matt Wilstein|September 30, 2021|The Daily Beast
“Our location is strategic because Mongolia sits on the backbone of China, while punching the underbelly of Russia,” says Elbegdorj with a chuckle.
'We Face Very Tough Challenges.' How Mongolia Typifies the Problems Posed to Small Countries by China's Rise|Charlie Campbell / Shanghai|April 14, 2021|Time
“I have no idea how many of them have had military training before,” he tells me later with a chuckle.
Should the U.S. Arm Ukraine’s Militias?|Jamie Dettmer|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“We need to call it something else,” Mitchell offered with a chuckle.
At This Creepy Libertarian Charter School, Kids Must Swear ‘to Be Obedient to Those in Authority’|ProPublica|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She would of course always come clean, after everyone enjoyed an awkward chuckle.
The Ongoing Stigma of Interracial Dating|Keli Goff|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“During the test, we tried all the dances and I nailed none of them,” says Boseman with a chuckle.
‘Get On Up’ Star Chadwick Boseman on Becoming James Brown—With A Little Help From Mick Jagger|Marlow Stern|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A group of local teens in the small town got a chuckle out of the “rich kid” driving a “funny ass car.”
Tennessee Not Impressed By Bonnaroo|Daniel G. Hill|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ruefully Aristide found no answers save in the general chuckle-headedness of mankind.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
His chuckle stopped as lightning flare threw the shadow of a man across the ground at Joseph's feet.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Jones said this with a chuckle and a sly expression in his face, as he glanced meaningly at his companion.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne
"It would be a highly indecent spectacle, my dear," said the vicar with a chuckle.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
His free hand closed over hers, but she snatched her own away with indignation that ended in a chuckle.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle|Laura Lee Hope

British Dictionary definitions for chuckle

chuckle

/ (ˈtʃʌkəl) /

verb (intr)

to laugh softly or to oneself

(of animals, esp hens) to make a clucking sound

noun

a partly suppressed laugh

Derived forms of chuckle

chuckler, nounchucklingly, adverb

Word Origin for chuckle

C16: probably from chuck ³

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

chuckle

Origin of chuckle

synonym study for chuckle

OTHER WORDS FROM chuckle

Words nearby chuckle

Words related to chuckle

How to use chuckle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chuckle

Derived forms of chuckle

Word Origin for chuckle