jangle

verb jan·gle \ ˈjaŋ-gəl \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: jangle in a Sentence

Definition of jangle

jangled; jangling play \ˈjaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

1 : to make a harsh or discordant often ringing sound

keys jangling in my pocket

2 : to quarrel verbally

3 : to talk idly

transitive verb

1 a : to cause to sound harshly or inharmoniously

b : to excite to tense irritation

jangled nerves

2 : to utter or sound in a discordant, babbling, or chattering way

—

jangler

play \ˈjaŋ-g(ə-)lər\ noun

See jangle defined for English-language learners

See jangle defined for kids

Examples of jangle in a Sentence

Coins jangled out of the machine.
He jangled his keys loudly outside the door.

Recent Examples of jangle from the Web

Guillermo Mendoza boarded the flight from Virginia to San Salvador, nerves jangling and suitcases heavy with gifts.

— maria sacchetti, Washington Post, "Going home after half a lifetime," 30 May 2018
This time the eruption rattled the couple's big landscape windows, the result of the frequent banging as vents thrust out steam and gas that serves as a nerve-jangling score to life here now.

— scott wilson, Anchorage Daily News, "The earth cracked open. Walls of lava encroached. That’s just life on a Hawaiian volcano.," 20 May 2018
In recent years, the main complaint about NASCAR racing is that there has not been enough true, vivid competition — bumpers banging, doors clanging, nerves jangling — at the front.

— mike hembree, USA TODAY, "Hembree: Daytona 500 lives up to billing with wild finish," 18 Feb. 2018
This time the eruption rattled the couple's big landscape windows, the result of the frequent banging as vents thrust out steam and gas that serves as a nerve-jangling score to life here now.

— scott wilson, Anchorage Daily News, "The earth cracked open. Walls of lava encroached. That’s just life on a Hawaiian volcano.," 20 May 2018
This time the eruption rattled the couple's big landscape windows, the result of the frequent banging as vents thrust out steam and gas that serves as a nerve-jangling score to life here now.

— scott wilson, chicagotribune.com, "The earth cracked open. Lava filled the streets. For Hawaiians, that's just the price of paradise.," 19 May 2018
These rumours have set alarm bells jangling at United and the club will seek to allay any concerns about the England striker's future by extending his current contract.

— SI.com, "Manchester United Ready to Allay Marcus Rashford Exit Worries With Bumper New Contract Offer," 13 May 2018
Despite the fizzy melodies and jangling, shimmering guitars, McEntire often wields serious heft with his playing, which adds a heavy bottom that beautifully counters the sunny front line.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "The Sea and Cake weather major shifts to produce another jewel of glistening guitar pop, Any Day," 11 May 2018
Pearce, in his feature directing debut, proves himself a solid craftsman, with a gift for giving even derivative story elements a nerve-jangling tweak.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Jessie Buckley flirts with danger in the tense, uneven British thriller 'Beast'," 10 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of jangle

Middle English, from Anglo-French jangler, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch jangelen to grumble

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

See Words from the same year

jangle

noun

Definition of jangle

1 : a discordant often ringing sound

the jangle of spurs

2 : noisy quarreling

3 : idle talk

Examples of jangle in a Sentence

the hall was abuzz with the usual preconvention jangle

Recent Examples of jangle from the Web

Unsurprisingly, Reggie is the one who supplied his friends with the jingle jangle.

— refinery29.com, "After That Riverdale Shooting, How Did We Get Here With Reggie?," 3 May 2018
By using the properties of music, the sounds Douek and Beckerman envision in Alarm Fatigue could convey more information to caregivers, and in a form that would be easier to grasp—plus more pleasant—than a jangle of unrelated beeps.

— susannah gardiner, Smithsonian, "Could Our Housewares Keep Us Healthier?," 3 May 2018
Competing salsa tracks spill out of shops and restaurants; car horns sound off in frustration in standstill traffic; and metal spatulas jangle on the grills of street-side taco stalls.

— megan spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "3 Days in Mexico City," 16 Apr. 2018
Today, with the widest media and social-media reach in history, every new workplace shooting jangles the nation’s population from coast to coast — and churns up new calls for better security each time, experts note.

— kevin fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Bay Area companies sharpen focus on security after shootings," 8 Apr. 2018
More recently, her 2017 release Pussycat was an album-length rebuke to our current president, with sharp lyrics and a welcoming musical jangle.

— robert ham, Billboard, "Juliana Hatfield on Her Olivia Newton-John Covers Album: 'I Wanted to Escape From All the Horrible Negativity'," 12 Mar. 2018
Not exactly the kind of Best Picture entry that makes the jewels jangle for joy in the audience of the Academy Awards.

— john petkovic, cleveland.com, "Academy Awards 2018: 'Phantom Thread' deserves to win Best Picture Oscar (commentary)," 2 Mar. 2018
The 11 beautifully simple and accomplished jangle-rock songs on the LP sound classic, now, moody, melodic, hypnotic, focused, wintry, summery, personal and universal.

— matt wake | mwake@al.com, AL.com, "How an Alabama band, Wilco's producer made a must-hear album," 22 Jan. 2018
But the very best part of American Girl is the third verse that never appears, leaving the listener out on the balcony as its rambunctious guitar jangles fade to silence, cheating us out of our heroine's happy ending.

— maeve mcdermott, USA TODAY, "Ranked: Remember Tom Petty with his 10 best songs," 3 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of jangle

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

jangle Synonyms

Synonyms

backchat, cackle, chat, chatter, chitchat, confab, confabulation, gab, gabfest, gossip, jaw, palaver, patter, rap, schmooze, small talk, table talk, talk, tête-à-tête;

debate, dialogue (also dialog), exchange, give-and-take;

crosstalk, happy talk;

yak (also yack), yammer, yap;

JANGLE Defined for English Language Learners

jangle

verb

Definition of jangle for English Language Learners

: to make a harsh ringing sound
: to cause (something) to make a harsh ringing sound

JANGLE Defined for Kids

jangle

verb jan·gle \ ˈjaŋ-gəl \

Definition of jangle for Students

jangled; jangling

: to make or cause to make a sound like the harsh ringing of a bell

He jangled his keys.

Headscratcher for jangle

Jangle and jingle are close in spelling, and in meaning, too. To jangle is to make a harsh ringing sound, while to jingle is to make a light ringing sound.