jingle

1 of 3

verb

jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl 

jingled; jingling ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to make a light clinking or tinkling sound

2

: to rhyme or sound in a catchy repetitious manner

transitive verb

: to cause to jingle

jingler

ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)lər 

noun

jingle

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: a light clinking or tinkling sound

b

: a catchy repetition of sounds in a poem

2

a

: something that jingles

b

: a short verse or song marked by catchy repetition

jingly

ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)lē 

adjective

jingly

3 of 3

adjective

jin·​gly ˈjiŋg(ə)lē 

-li

sometimes -er/-est

: having a jingling quality : sounding like a jingle

a jingly sound from a vibrating metallic part

a jingly verse

Synonyms of jingle

Verb

• clink
• tinkle
• ring
• tingle
• rattle
• chime
• chink

Noun

• rattle
• clatter
• tinkle

Examples of jingle in a Sentence

Verb

Bells jingled in the distance.

She jingled the coins in her pocket.

Noun

I heard the jingle of bells.

the jingle of change in my pocket

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Just when things seemed too contentious and/or boring to a late-night viewer, Stewart knew when to jingle the keys in our face. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026

On the walls, a few pots hang from a copper rod, a dinner bell waits to be jingled, and an ancient clock keeps time. — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 2 July 2026

Noun

The new menu item's release will come nearly a year after Domino's announced a new logo and a new jingle from Grammy award-winning musician Shaboozey. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

Aronow started out as a performer herself, her childhood spent singing popular jingles for Hasbro and Kidz Bop. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ginglen, of imitative origin

and Adjective

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for jingle

• commingle
• dingle
• ingle
• lingle
• mingle
• pringle
• shingle
• single
• swingle
• tingle
• intermingle

Video

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

Some imitative words are more surprising than others

Kids Definition

jingle

1 of 2 verb

jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl 

jingled; jingling -g(ə-)liŋ 

: to make or cause to make a light clinking sound

coins jingled in their pockets

jingler

-g(ə-)lər 

noun

jingle

2 of 2 noun

1

: a light clinking sound

2

: a catchy repetition of sounds in a poem

3

: a verse or song marked by catchy repetition

jingly

-g(ə-)lē 

adjective