gargle

American  

[gahr-guhl] / ˈgɑr gəl /

verb (used without object)

gargled, gargling

1. to wash or rinse the throat or mouth with a liquid held in the throat and kept in motion by a stream of air from the lungs.

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verb (used with object)

gargled, gargling

1. to gargle (the throat or mouth).

2. to utter with a gargling sound.

noun

1. any liquid used for gargling.

2. a gargling sound.

gargle British  

/ ˈɡɑːɡəl /

verb

1. to rinse (the mouth and throat) with a liquid, esp a medicinal fluid by slowly breathing out through the liquid

2. to utter (words, sounds, etc) with the throaty bubbling noise of gargling

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noun

1. the liquid used for gargling

2. the sound produced by gargling

3. informal an alcoholic drink

   what was her favourite gargle?

Other Word Forms

• gargler
  noun

Etymology

Origin of gargle

1520–30; < Middle French gargouiller to gargle, rattle the throat, derivative of gargouille throat; perhaps imitative

Explanation

When you gargle, you swish mouthwash or another liquid around your mouth and at the back of your throat. After having a tooth pulled, you might be instructed to gargle with saltwater. If you gargle with mouthwash, moving the minty liquid around your mouth and then spitting it out, you'll have fresh breath. Many people make a gurgling sound when they gargle. The word comes from the Middle French gargouiller, "to gurgle or bubble," which stems from the Old French gargole, meaning both "throat" and "waterspout," rooted in the Latin word for "throat," gula.

Example Sentences

His mash-up feels fresh, just as the bombastic score by Juri Seppä and Tuomas Wäinölä boldly borrows Ennio Morricone’s soaring horns and wah-wah-waaah squawks while adding its own gargle of Finnish throat singing.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

I’ve had hiccups several times since then and have discovered that a quick gargle with water absolutely stops them.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023

The senator was referring to a comment he made at a town-hall meeting in December suggesting that a “standard gargle, mouthwash, has been proven to kill the coronavirus.”

From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022

A 0.5% solution is sold as a gargle for sore throats, but the manufacturer cautions people not to swallow it.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2021

Peach cleared his throat in a great gargle.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles