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Definition of tickle
tickled
;tickling
play \-k(ə-)liŋ\transitive verb
1 : to touch (a body part, a person, etc.) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
2a : to excite or stir up agreeably : please music … does more than tickle our sense of rhythm — Edward Sapirb : to provoke to laughter or merriment : amuse were tickled by the clown's antics
3 : to touch or stir gently a pianist tickling the ivories
intransitive verb
1 : to have a tingling or prickling sensation my back tickles
2 : to excite the surface nerves to prickle
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Examples of tickle in a Sentence
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 of tickle from the Web
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Early Sunday morning, the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, stumbled upon a some video footage that tickled his fancy, and decided the best course of action was to share the meme with the rest of the world.
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If watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern tickles your pickle, then this is the list for you.
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Going home: Iggy and Tickle Guy, who, yes, tickles her on his way out.
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That Forbes story tickled something deep in my psyche.
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O'Connell as Hannibal, an unemployed statistician who's lost his job to a calculator, juggles kindness and sarcasm on a dime; his awful violin noises never fail to tickle.
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On the second night while the mother went to a store, the teen told police Spradlin woke him by tickling and kissing his back.
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The Cardinals loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before Grichuk kept his hands inside a fastball that was designed to jam him, hocking a line drive that tickled the chalk down the left field line.
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Watching a master pianist tickling the ivories is a dizzying display of fingers, hands, and arms.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tickle'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of tickle
Middle English tikelen; akin to Old English tinclian to tickle
Recent Examples of tickle from the Web
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Rosie just feels like a soft, fuzzy tickle monster … that will want to eat you in your sleep.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tickle'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of tickle
1801
TICKLE Defined for English Language Learners
tickle
playDefinition of tickle for English Language Learners
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: to try to make (someone) laugh by lightly touching a very sensitive part of the body with your fingers, a feather, etc.
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: to have or cause a slightly uncomfortable feeling on a part of your body
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: to please or amuse (someone or something)
TICKLE Defined for Kids
Definition of tickle for Students
tickled
;tickling
1 : to have a tingling or prickling sensation My nose tickles.
2 : to touch (a body part) lightly so as to cause laughter or jerky movements I tickled the baby's feet.
3 : to excite or stir up agreeably This food tickles my taste buds.
4 : amuse 2 … Avery was tickled to find himself so wet … — E. B. White, Charlotte's Web.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of tickle
tickled
;tickling
\-(ə-)liŋ\play1
intransitive verb
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation my back tickles2: to excite the surface nerves to prickle
transitive verb
: to touch (as a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
Learn More about tickle
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See words that rhyme with tickle Spanish Central: Translation of tickle Nglish: Translation of tickle for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
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