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 of chuckle

• 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

There is not a whole lot to chuckle about these days, and her column does the trick for me every week. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026

The librarian on the phone chuckled. —Literary Hub, 5 May 2026

Even the mention of Alonso’s name makes Gibson chuckle. —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 May 2026

Even talking about Williams-Streat’s faults, the family chuckled in their living room and Matthew laughed back in the photos. —Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2026

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