tingle
Americanverb (used without object)
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tingles,
present (3rd person singular)
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tingled,
past participle, past
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tingling
present participle
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to have a sensation of slight prickles, stings, or tremors, as from cold, a sharp blow, excitement, etc..
I tingle all over.
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to cause such a sensation.
The scratch tingles.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tinglesimple
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tinglessimple
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have tingledperfect
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has tingledperfect
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am tinglingprogressive
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are tinglingprogressive
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is tinglingprogressive
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have been tinglingperfect progressive
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has been tinglingperfect progressive
Past
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tingledsimple
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had tingledperfect
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was tinglingprogressive
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were tinglingprogressive
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had been tinglingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tingle
1350–1400; Middle English tinglen (v.), variant of tinkle
Explanation
When something tingles, it prickles or stings a tiny bit. Walking through a haunted house might make your skin tingle with fear. A cool breeze makes your skin tingle, and a pep rally might leave you tingling with excitement. Tingle can also call be used as a noun: a tingle is similar to a shiver or a shudder, a light sensation that may have an emotional or physical cause. An earlier meaning of tingle was "a ringing sensation or sound."
Vocabulary lists containing tingle
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:
Similarly, his cultural allusions no longer provoke even a tingle, let alone a shock of recognition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Cheesy words in normal circumstances, but that was the moment our spines began to tingle and we knew we were about to witness history.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
Scott Speedman is in it for the tingle.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2024
"In addition to bitter taste, it also affects savory, salt, sweet, and sour tastes. However, AF-353 only blocks taste. Other oral sensations like the tingle from carbonation were not affected."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2024
Even with so much on her mind, it gave her a tingle of pleasure to see her name in print.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
If your skin tingles and hair stands on end, it means lightning is about to strike.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2024
Q: My right foot burns and tingles so badly that it’s hard to sleep.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 23, 2022
One person triumphs, often with shots that send tingles up every spine and will be replayed for decades.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 21, 2021
The thrill of watching Lin-Manuel Miranda breaking down how he and producer Alex Lacamoire captured “Wait for It,” from the blockbuster musical “Hamilton,” might give you tingles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2020
He scratched the back of his neck and could still feel the phantom tingles of having the Ash Being pulled out of himself.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
He had a severe peripheral neuropathy that left his feet mostly numb, though occasionally they burned and tingled as if they were asleep.
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2022
“As kids we used to hold these 9-volt batteries to our tongues and it tingled, that’s roughly how you have to imagine this,” Lierz says.
From Science Magazine ● Jun. 8, 2022
"At that point, the ‘spidey senses’ tingled a little bit."
From Fox News ● Oct. 22, 2021
After the workout, Curtis said, his whole body tingled with soreness, and he was convinced.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2020
His whole body tingled with power, but the anger was subsiding.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Munro said headaches were a symptom of migraine attacks, but so too are "visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting, sometimes numbness and tingling, sometimes abdominal pain, sometimes dizziness".
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The tingling in my face has largely disappeared, but my walking has become increasingly difficult over the years.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The vocals throughout have that patented, tingling Jayhawks sound; the instrumentals are as sharp as fans will recall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
These symptoms are not specific to B12 deficiency, so persistent tiredness, tingling or balance problems should be checked rather than assumed to be a simple vitamin problem.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
She poured herself a glass of orange juice and sat at the table, her skin tingling.
From "George" by Alex Gino
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.
