gigil

American

[gig-uhl, guh-gil] / ˈgɪg əl, gəˈgɪl /

noun

(Philippine English) an intense physical feeling associated with clenching the fists or jaw and trembling, particularly when seeing something especially cute.

adjective

(Philippine English) full of or overwhelmed by an intense feeling associated with clenching the fists or jaw and trembling, particularly when seeing something especially cute.

Example Sentences

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Apart from gigil, the newly-added Philippine words include the national pastime of videoke, the local version of karaoke which includes a scoring system, and salakot, a wide-brimmed, lightweight hat often used by farmers.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023