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

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

"I'm now going to go home and gargle some honey."

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2023

Some research has shown that using a turmeric gargle could reduce the side effects of radiotherapy in people with head and neck cancers, however.

From Salon • May 23, 2023

The only slight drawback is that I’m one table over from Brij Nath and Matthew Weir, both of whom slurp cafeteria chili and gargle it in the back of their throats as a joke.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon