giggle

American  

[gig-uhl] / ˈgɪg əl /

verb (used without object)

giggled, giggling

1. to laugh in a silly, often high-pitched way, especially with short, repeated gasps and titters, as from juvenile or ill-concealed amusement or nervous embarrassment.

   Synonyms:

   chuckle, snigger, snicker

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noun

1. a silly, spasmodic laugh; titter.

   Synonyms:

   chuckle, snigger, snicker

2. Slang. an amusing experience, incident, etc..

   Going to a silly movie was always a giggle.

giggle British  

/ ˈɡɪɡəl /

verb

1. (intr) to laugh nervously or foolishly

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noun

1. such a laugh

2. informal something or someone that provokes amusement

3. a fit of prolonged and uncontrollable giggling

4. informal as a joke or prank; not seriously

Other Word Forms

• giggler noun
• giggling noun
• gigglingly adverb
• giggly adjective

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.

Example Sentences

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

She sang open-throated declarations, recited broken poetic verses, scatted with the authority of a jazz singer, moaned with bluesy intent, and occasionally let loose an unbridled shriek or giggle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Their favorite move is a gasp-laugh, as when they flash a gruesome image on screen that’s so disgusting you can’t help but giggle.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

“I looked at that scene and went, yeah, that’s going to get people talking,” she deadpans in the HBO offices one January afternoon, before breaking out into a giggle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

I make a strange sound that’s somewhere between a gasp and a giggle.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• cackle
• chuckle
• guffaw
• laugh
• snicker