gurgle

American  

[gur-guhl] / ˈgɜr gəl /

verb (used without object)

gurgles, present (3rd person singular) gurgled, past participle, past gurgling present participle

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)

gurgles, present (3rd person singular) gurgled, past participle, past gurgling present participle

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

Derived Forms

• gurgling
  adjective
• gurglingly
  adverb

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have gurgled
  perfect
• has gurgled
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are gurgling
  progressive
• has been gurgling
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• gurgling
  participle
• is gurgling
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been gurgling
  perfect progressive
• gurgles
  singular 3rd person
• am gurgling
  progressive 1st person singular

Past

• had gurgled
  perfect
• had been gurgling
  perfect progressive
• were gurgling
  progressive plural
• was gurgling
  progressive singular
• gurgled
  participle
• gurgled
  simple

Future

• will gurgle
  simple
• will have gurgled
  perfect
• will have been gurgling
  perfect progressive
• will be gurgling
  progressive

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

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

She sleeps on an unseen second floor, in a room just above the mainstage action — her every gurgle, whine and cry jolting Jenny like an electric current.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2022

I tuned in to the creek’s gurgle, imagining a pristine river on a deserted island, its shore lined with orchids and gardenias, with birds warbling sweet melodies.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago