giggle

1 of 2

verb

gig·​gle ˈgi-gəl 

giggled; giggling ˈgi-g(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

: to laugh with repeated short catches of the breath

transitive verb

: to utter with a giggle

giggler

ˈgi-g(ə-)lər 

noun

gigglingly

ˈgi-g(ə-)liŋ-lē 

adverb

giggly

ˈgi-g(ə-)lē 

adjective

giggle

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act of giggling

2

chiefly British : a source of amusement

Synonyms

Verb

• break up
• cackle
• chortle
• chuckle
• crack up
• hee-haw
• laugh
• roar
• scream
• snicker
• titter
• twitter

Noun

• boff
• boffo
• boffola
• crack
• drollery
• funny
• gag
• jape
• jest
• joke
• josh
• laugh
• nifty
• one-liner
• pleasantry
• quip
• rib
• sally
• waggery
• wisecrack
• witticism
• yuk [slang]
• yuck
• yak
• yock

Examples of giggle in a Sentence

Verb

She giggled like a little kid.

We were all joking and giggling nervously as we waited for the ceremony to begin.

Noun

poking fun at the royal family is nothing new, but this movie comedy has a few giggles you haven't heard before

couldn't help but giggle at his remark

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Not just on the training pitch but in the dorm rooms, talking about the future and giggling at stupid jokes. —Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 21 May 2025

Nearby, children giggle while eating from mango jars. —John Okot, Christian Science Monitor, 20 May 2025

Noun

In a clip shared by Billboard, Lipa swayed while singing a cover of the song with her band before breaking out into a giggle and making a heart with her hands towards the crowd. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2025

Michael Blackson, Funny Marco, and Hannibal Buress are just a few of the upcoming performers providing giggles and chuckles and tickets are on sale now. —Avidxchange Music Factory, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1509, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

circa 1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for giggle

• jiggle
• wiggle
• wriggle

Kids Definition

giggle

verb

gig·​gle

ˈgig-əl

giggled; giggling

-(ə-)liŋ

: to laugh with repeated short high sounds

giggle noun

giggly

-(ə-)lē

adjective