chuckle

verb

chuck·le | \ ˈchə-kᵊl

chuckled; chuckling; chuckles

Definition of chuckle

1 : to laugh inwardly or quietly He chuckled as he read the comic strip.

2 : to make a continuous gentle sound resembling suppressed (see suppress sense 5a) mirth the clear bright water chuckled over gravel— B. A. Williams

transitive verb

: to utter with a chuckle Templeton grinned. "I'll tend to this," he chuckled. He took Wilbur's tail in his mouth and bit it … . The pain revived Wilbur.— E. B. White

Other Words from chuckle Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about chuckle

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Other Words from chuckle

chuckle noun

chucklesome \ ˈchə-kᵊl-səm

\ adjective

chucklingly \ ˈchə-kᵊl-iŋ-lē

\ adverb

Examples of chuckle in a Sentence

She chuckled at the memory of what he had said. everyone dutifully chuckled at the professor's intended jokes

Recent Examples on the Web

Sheinelle and Al couldn't help but chuckle at Craig's surprising response. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Today' Stars Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer, and Craig Melvin Made the Show SUPER Awkward," 30 Apr. 2019 Keith chuckles at the ongoing matchmaking, choosing--at least for now--to stay focused on restoring these familial streets, these neighborhoods, and these families. — Roy S. Johnson, AL.com, "Policy, passion drive Huntsville councilman Devyn Keith towards future," 4 Mar. 2018 Attenborough chuckled amiably at her little quip, per the Times. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Looking Back at David Attenborough's Relationship with Queen Elizabeth and the Rest of the Royal Family," 4 Apr. 2019 McPhee chuckles upon rereading his old houseguest’s reply: tnx!!!!! — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "How the Roster Decisions of Golden Knights GM George McPhee Color the Stanley Cup Final," 28 May 2018 Ellen chuckled and went on to fawn over Nick and Priyanka's relationship. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Ellen Confronts Priyanka Chopra for Not Inviting Her to Her Wedding," 30 Jan. 2019 While Sunny, Meghan, and Abby chuckled a little bit at the quip, Whoopi full-on lost it. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'The View' Star Whoopi Goldberg Lost It After Joy Behar's Comment on Monday's Show," 20 Nov. 2018 William and Kate appeared to continue chuckling about the awkward silence once the program resumed. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton and Prince William Joke About the Awkward Silence During Their BAFTAs Entrance," 12 Feb. 2019 Marvel Zombies chuckles as Spider-Man eats Aunt May and a familiar set of costumed heroes murder everyone on the planet. — Noah Berlatsky, The Verge, "Why zombies are so hilarious," 5 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chuckle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.