chuckle

verb

chuck·​le ˈchə-kᵊl 

chuckled; chuckling; chuckles

intransitive verb

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

chuckle noun

chucklesome

ˈchə-kᵊl-səm 

adjective

chucklingly

ˈchə-kᵊl-iŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• laugh
• giggle

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

The regulars chuckled, the virgins-no-more cheered and, after some ground rules, the shuttle was off. —Kylie Volavongsa, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Speaking from his longtime home in La Quinta, near Palm Springs, Reid chuckled appreciatively when reminded of the late Franklin’s praise for him. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

That’s not to say that moviegoers don’t want to chuckle anymore. —Katcy Stephan, Variety, 18 July 2025

From screaming chickens and inflating mushrooms to giant armored gorillas, the critters are equal parts threats to overcome and jokes to chuckle at. —Ian Stokes, Space.com, 15 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably frequentative of chuck entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for chuckle

• buckle
• chicle
• knuckle
• muckle
• suckle
• tical
• honeysuckle

Kids Definition

chuckle

verb

chuck·​le ˈchək-əl 

chuckled; chuckling

ˈchək-(ə-)liŋ

: to laugh in a quiet way

chuckle noun