tickled; tickling
ˈti-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to touch (a body part, a person, etc.) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
2
3
: to touch or stir gently
a pianist tickling the ivories
1
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
my back tickles
2
: to excite the surface nerves to prickle
Examples of tickle in a Sentence
Verb
Her little brother screamed with laughter as she tickled him.
The tag on the sweater tickled his neck.
My nose started to tickle.
Don't touch me there; it tickles.
We were tickled by the invitation.
The idea of going to the party tickled her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Victoria Kim, New York Times, 2 July 2025
Small bubbles trail upward, tickling my nose as cold seawater seeps into my gloves.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2025
New Atlas, 16 June 2025
In the old days there used to be heavy runs of squid in the tickle in late summer, which the local residents gathered and dried.
—Robert Finch
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tickle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Chris Horne is tickled by the adrenaline of having a ferocious predator in his garden.
—Victoria Kim, New York Times, 2 July 2025
Small bubbles trail upward, tickling my nose as cold seawater seeps into my gloves.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2025
Noun
Seventy-three corners with elevation changes big enough to give you tummy tickles at over 100 mph (160 km/h), crazy carousels that'll rattle your fillings at nearly 2 gs, and tunnel-vision-inducing max-speed straights.
—New Atlas, 16 June 2025
In the old days there used to be heavy runs of squid in the tickle in late summer, which the local residents gathered and dried.
—Robert Finch
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tickle
Cite this Entry
“Tickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tickle. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tickle
1 of 2 verb
tick·le
ˈtik-əl
tickled; tickling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to touch a body part lightly so as to cause uneasiness, laughter, or jerky movements
2
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
3
a
: to excite or stir up agreeably : please
food that tickles your taste buds
b
: to stir to laughter or merriment
were tickled by the clown's antics
tickler
noun
ˈtik-(ə-)lər
tickle
2 of 2 noun1
: the act of tickling
2
: a tickling sensation
3
: something that tickles
Medical Definition
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