gurgle

American  

[gur-guhl] / ˈgɜr gəl /

verb (used without object)

gurgled, gurgling

1. to flow in a broken, irregular, noisy current.

   The water gurgled from the bottle.

   Synonyms:

   babble, burble, bubble

2. to make a sound as of water doing this (often used of birds or of human beings).

   Synonyms:

   babble, burble, bubble

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verb (used with object)

gurgled, gurgling

1. to utter or express with a gurgling sound.

   The baby gurgled her delight.

noun

1. the act or noise of gurgling.

gurgle British  

/ ˈɡɜːɡəl /

verb

1. (of liquids, esp of rivers, streams, etc) to make low bubbling noises when flowing

2. to utter low throaty bubbling noises, esp as a sign of contentment

   the baby gurgled with delight

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noun

1. the act or sound of gurgling

Other Word Forms

• gurgling
  adjective
• gurglingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of gurgle

First recorded in 1555–65; compare Dutch, Middle Low German gorgelen, German gurgeln “to gargle”; akin to Latin gurguliō “throat”

Explanation

To gurgle is to make a sound like bubbling or splashing water. Not to be confusing, but when you gargle mouthwash, you probably gurgle. People gurgle when they say something (or make a noise) with an accompanying wet, gurgling sound. Your stomach might gurgle too, especially when you're hungry. And liquid itself gurgles, like a stream that gurgles over rocks or sweet iced tea that gurgles from a bottle into your glass. Experts aren't sure if gurgle is an imitative word, from the sound itself, or if it's rooted in Latin.

Example Sentences

As the 14th-ranked Utes took a two-score lead into the fourth quarter Saturday at the Coliseum, that familiar heartbreak that struck a season ago in Salt Lake City seemed to gurgle up.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2023

She expected to hear icebergs calving off the glacier—perhaps even the low, garden-hose gurgle of a subglacial river gushing out from underneath the glacier.

From National Geographic • Sep. 7, 2023

But the last time I called, he could only gurgle on the phone, having suffered a stroke.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2023

And even as rap continues to mutate daily, few can infuse emotional heft into each Auto-Tuned gurgle like Future, as if his heart is in his throat in more ways than one.

From Washington Post • Jan. 23, 2023

As he closed the window in his room, Evan could hear the gurgle of the gutters choking on the downpour.

From "The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies