tickle

verb

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tick·le | \ ˈti-kəl

tickled; tickling\ ˈti-k(ə-)liŋ

Definition of tickle

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 Sapir

b : 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

tickle

noun

Definition of tickle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of tickling

2 : a tickling sensation

3 : something that tickles

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: Verb Maybe all the above? — tickle my nostrils, then retreat. — Washington Post, "China’s luosifen soup is a fantasia of flavors that doesn’t deserve its pungent reputation," 8 Mar. 2021 Any clouds will be fleeting as lows range across the 30s, with spots outside the Beltway most likely to tickle freezing. — Washington Post, "PM Update: Temperatures remain mild, with clouds increasing Friday," 25 Feb. 2021 Step inside Aroma Candle Studio and you’re met with a slew of scents that tickle your nose, tease your taste buds and trigger thoughts of happy times. — Mike Klingaman, baltimoresun.com, "Kids Corner: Create personalized fragrances at Aroma Candle Studio in Bel Air," 25 Feb. 2021 There's a reason why Timberlake's use of Spears as a punchline years after their breakup continued to tickle audiences. — Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, "Justin Timberlake Made A Career At The Expense Of Women," 12 Feb. 2021 But both contain iridoids, a suite of chemicals that seem to potently tickle pleasure circuits in cats. — New York Times, "Your Cat Isn’t Just Getting High Off Catnip," 20 Jan. 2021 Hanami Froom will join in Tomaso Vitali’s Chaconne for Violin and String Orchestra, and Jacob Nenow will tickle the ivories for the first movement of J. S. Bach’s Piano Concerto in D Minor. — oregonlive, "12 classical music performances to stir and soothe winter of our discontent," 11 Jan. 2021 At the very least, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity could tickle my rat brain more. — Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, "Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity," 18 Nov. 2020 Look no further than these creative options to tickle your fancy. — Karla Pope, Good Housekeeping, "100 Girl Cat Names That Are as Cute and Lovable as Your Kitty," 24 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But something just gave me a tickle that that wasn’t him. — Annie Jacobsen, Wired, "Palantir’s God’s-Eye View of Afghanistan," 20 Jan. 2021 Contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have been known to join the franchise with some pretty interesting job titles in tow, from Tiara the chicken enthusiast to Jonathan the tickle monster to Haley and Emily the twins. — Andrea Park, Marie Claire, "Who Is Victoria Larson From Matt James' Season of 'The Bachelor'?," 11 Jan. 2021 Your main contentions are that one nostril that just won’t clear and the tickle in your throat that won’t let up. — Sarah Vincelette, USA TODAY, "25 thoughtful get-well-soon gifts to send to loved ones," 9 Dec. 2020 Couple that with the unrelenting motivation — and pressure — to make sure conference games begin in December and end in March with a Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, and there is a tickle of hope for rivalries old and new. — Mike Anthony, courant.com, "Mike Anthony: Big East bracing for disruptions to basketball season; UConn returns ‘home’ at most complicated time," 29 Oct. 2020 That tickle in the throat, cough, runny nose or run-down feeling in late October typically means grabbing some over-the-counter cold and flu relief and powering through a day of work or errands. — Suzanne Baker, chicagotribune.com, "Is it a cold, the flu or COVID-19? Get a flu shot and err on the side of caution, experts say.," 27 Oct. 2020 More research needs to be done to determine why one person infected with COVID-19 might not feel so much as a tickle in their throat, while others become severely ill. — Molly Longman, refinery29.com, "What To Know About Asymptomatic COVID-19 Cases," 25 Oct. 2020 As the baby nurses, the mom feels a slight tickle in the back of her throat. — Claire Friedman, The New Yorker, "New-Parent Riddles," 3 Oct. 2020 Surely this tickle in his throat wasn’t this terrifying virus. — Star Tribune, "Lives, on the line," 2 Oct. 2020

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.