giggle
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
noun
-
such a laugh
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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
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have giggledperfect
-
has giggledperfect
-
am gigglingprogressive
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are gigglingprogressive
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is gigglingprogressive
-
have been gigglingperfect progressive
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has been gigglingperfect progressive
Past
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giggledsimple
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had giggledperfect
-
was gigglingprogressive
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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:
“But they usually have a giggle and sometimes walk out with a bag full of goodies, too.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
"Everything on social media is really just me having a giggle, which is the truth of it. And that's all it should ever be, I think," she tells Newsbeat.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
And while it was sometimes difficult to get anything more than a giggle from Alyssa in an interview even after she turned pro, Zoe already gives complete, thoughtful answers to most questions.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 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
Wynn had a laugh that sounded like a horse neigh, and it made us giggle even harder.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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
“I laughed because she did,” he weakly claims, and there are more giggles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 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
Something about not being able to talk always gave someone the giggles, but tonight it’s not hard to stay quiet, and for sure I don’t feel like giggling.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
"I feel silly," giggled Ruiloba, a 34-year-old doctor.
From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026
As those scenes played in New York, Swift affectionately turned to Saunders and yelled, "YES!" as he giggled and covered his face in feigned shyness.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025
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
He playfully slapped at him, and they smiled and giggled like the best of friends.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2025
She announced her findings to the class, then read it aloud while everyone giggled.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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
Now it’s time to go, and giggling over nothing, we walk to her car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 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
‘What are you two giggling about?’ he asks.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
