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
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 1: Telling Details
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Charlotte's Web": Chapter One
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Still, Todd doesn’t like the way Hal and Grace giggle together in secret.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
“I’m really drawn to problematic characters,” Eleazar says with a gleeful giggle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
"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
This is the part where the Journal’s premier footy scribes Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg giggle at my stateside naiveté.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
She starts whispering to the other, and they giggle.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
"The film has a few scattered giggles, but it's dawdling and cumbersome, and far less 'relevant' than it thinks," read a review from the Hollywood trade publication Variety.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
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
Actor Ryan McCartan ranted on Instagram about poorly timed giggles during his performance in “The Great Gatsby.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
“An illusionist should never trust that which giggles and grins...”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
"I think we just all giggled for a long time."
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
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
"I feel silly," giggled Ruiloba, a 34-year-old doctor.
From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026
You know how you giggled every time someone said “Tush Push”? You know how you held the football and stared at the Roger Goodell signature for 10 minutes?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
Pong followed him up the stairs to the third floor, stepping around children who giggled and pointed at his butt.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Pike seemed warm and "eager to please", said Roberts, and was giggling, smiling, and picking up on cues.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Fan-edited montages of the pair embracing, giggling and jumping into each other's arms are all over social media.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“My name is on the ballot! That’s mine!” he said, holding up the letter and giggling.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
“This mom was walking her little baby back and forth across the terrace, teaching her how to walk,” Chamberlain said, “and she’s giggling while there’s a car burning,”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
Even through his visor I hear Voxy giggling.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
