giggle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
giggles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
giggled,
past participle, past
-
giggling
present participle
verb
noun
-
such a laugh
-
informal something or someone that provokes amusement
-
a fit of prolonged and uncontrollable giggling
-
informal as a joke or prank; not seriously
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
gigglesimple
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gigglessimple
-
have giggledperfect
-
has giggledperfect
-
am gigglingprogressive
-
are gigglingprogressive
-
is gigglingprogressive
-
have been gigglingperfect progressive
-
has been gigglingperfect progressive
Past
-
giggledsimple
-
had giggledperfect
-
was gigglingprogressive
-
were gigglingprogressive
-
had been gigglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of giggle
1500–10; imitative; compare Dutch gigelen, German gickeln. See -le
Explanation
If you laugh with a dainty tee-hee-hee, you giggle. Children giggle a lot. Big strong men are more likely to guffaw or issue a big belly laugh. The word giggle has been around since about the 16th century, and yet, it has no Latin or Greek roots. Most likely the word is an imitation of the silly sound you make when you laugh like this. If you and your friends have hidden a frog on your teacher's desk, when she enters the room and moves towards it, you will probably begin giggling — you know something funny is about to happen and you're a little nervous about it.
Vocabulary lists containing giggle
Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Charlotte's Web": Chapter One
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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.
See Examples For:
"They only picked me because I never stopped talking," Jackie told the BBC, with an infectious giggle that hasn't changed since childhood.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The participants giggle, nervously stealing glances from their prospective matches.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
She said with a giggle that at 15 years or so into their marriage, “I tell him what to do.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
Then she shares a delightful, fact-based piece of trivia like, “Hey, did you know that rats giggle when you tickle them?”
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026
A nervous giggle escapes my lips as I imagine Mom’s face when the doctor told her she had a fungus.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Yet the comedy is so strong that Root giggles when he recalls moments from the show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
This portion of the curriculum, naturally, came with plenty of giggles and whispers.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
The name Hank McCune may be lost to history, but his short-lived television sitcom will forever be remembered for its chuckles, chortles, giggles and guffaws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
When Close introduced herself and shook her hand, she was left starstruck, and got the giggles when Mila Kunis mistook her for an extra, rather than an actual vicar.
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025
Sumaiya turns to me and giggles as she hits a high note.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Though many in Hollywood have giggled at the idea of a major studio moving to the South, it isn’t totally ridiculous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
By sickening contrast, Nadja Spiegelman, an editor at the Times, and Jia Tolentino, a writer for the New Yorker, giggled their way through an interview with Mr. Piker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
"I feel silly," giggled Ruiloba, a 34-year-old doctor.
From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026
"We've come a long way, I'm not going to throw him under a bus," said Burns, while Carr just giggled.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2025
An imaginary Rashida giggled as she popped one roshogollah after another into her mouth, devouring the whole pot that Naima had brought home from the sweet shop.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
Beavis and Butt-head might leave chaos and destruction in their muttering, giggling wake, but they rarely suffer lasting harm themselves.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
“I’m at a loss for words,” Hanna says, giggling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
He filmed the process for TikTok, giggling at his flubs and using his hands to accentuate the rhythmic cadence of the language.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
Then she makes a beeline for a gaggle of giggling children and expectant women, most in flowing black cloaks.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
The children beamed at the praise, although the boys began giggling and pinching each other as soon as they heard the word “pinch.”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
