jingle

1 of 2

verb

jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl How to pronounce jingle (audio)
jingled; jingling ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce jingle (audio)

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 noun

jingle

2 of 2

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 adjective

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
Unpredictable and complex, this film has quite a few tricks stuffed in its stockings that will leave you shocked and your bells fully jingled. James Mercadante, EW.com, 27 Oct. 2023 Guests have returned, filling the blackjack and roulette tables amid the cacophony of jingling slot machines — the sound of money. Peter S. Goodman Bridget Bennett, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Wentworth jingle repeatedly, and unfortunately not much of Mejia. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2024 Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern are jingling all the way in matching outfits this holiday. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023 Finish with a chalk pen, jingling bells, and red-and-white hanging loops. Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Nov. 2023 Relationship status: Single and ready to jingle. Kelly O'Sullivan, Country Living, 5 Dec. 2022 Single and ready to jingle. Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2022 From sensitive Santas to jacked Santas to murderous Santas, there is sure to be someone to jingle your bells. Sidney Wollmuth, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2022
Noun
Now, Affleck burns beats onto a CD and attempts to record his own Dunkin’ jingle. EW.com, 13 Feb. 2024 In later years my family would drive past the funeral home en route to Chili’s or Bob Evans, and I was struck by the proximity of such convivial restaurants—so full of life, jingles on TV—to this site of uncontained grief. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Those changes have kicked off something of a new holiday tradition, with the legendary artists and their festive jingles at the center, vying for the top spot each year. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2023 The multi-sensory toy crinkles and jingles and keeps cats engaged with a catnip filling that our cat loved. Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 The ad re-used the jingle and visuals from John F. Kennedy’s presidential run in 1960. RFK Jr.’s candidacy is widely considered a long shot, and his controversial views — including vehement opposition to Covid vaccines — have earned him a lot of scrutiny in the last year. Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2024 Raised by a single mom, Ferrell spent most of her free time outside and listening to music while singing along — sometimes commercial jingles on the television, sometimes Nineties rock radio, sometimes Shania Twain. Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2024 The series filmed in Tokyo, which came with its own learning curve, and the team was always adjusting details like what food a mother might have on hand for a late-night meal and what snack foods have a recognizable commercial jingle. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2024 This 1980s earworm of a jingle touted a gadget to turn your lights, your TV, or any other electrical device on or off with the clap of your hands. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jingle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ginglen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of jingle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near jingle

Cite this Entry

“Jingle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jingle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jingle

1 of 2 verb
jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl How to pronounce jingle (audio)
jingled; jingling -g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce jingle (audio)
: to make or cause to make a light clinking sound
coins jingled in their pockets
jingler 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 adjective

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