tickle

1 of 2

verb

tick·​le ˈti-kəl How to pronounce tickle (audio)
tickled; tickling ˈti-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tickle (audio)

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
2
a
: to excite or stir up agreeably : please
music … does more than tickle our sense of rhythmEdward 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

2 of 2

noun

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
She seems genuinely tickled by the lucky break too, handing me one for the road. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 History buffs will be tickled to unwrap this custom hardcover book that features The New York Times front pages from every year since their birth. Paula Lee, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2024 Jacques Chirac stands out as a president who visibly enjoyed the Salon, lingering at the stands, tickling calves, eating and drinking everything put in front of him. Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 For 3 is our a weekly look at basketball news from USD, UC San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene ... plus whatever else tickles the twine. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Known for having a silly personality, Jacky will let out endless giggles if someone tickles her. The Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024 If nothing tickles your fancy, then go with the choose your own adventure option. The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024 Emmy Awards host Anthony Anderson tickled the ivories and honored some of his favorite shows during his opening on TV's biggest night. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024 Editor’s note: For 3 is our weekly look at the men’s basketball programs at USD, UCSD and Point Loma Nazarene ... plus whatever else tickles the twine. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024
Noun
In the time of COVID, gnarly colds, gross stomach viruses, a throat tickle, runny nose, or rumbling gut might be a sign of something that can get someone else sick (and sometimes really sick). Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Jan. 2024 The tumbler is a lovely vessel for infused fruit waters, which are also typically found in a hotel lobby, and really comes in handy at night when guests may need to take medications, brush their teeth, or handle a dry tickle or cough. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2023 Throat lozenges numb your airways, temporarily getting rid of that tickle that causes a persistent cough, says Dr. Enfield. Julia Ries, SELF, 19 Oct. 2023 Or if not laughter, then perhaps just a faint tickle in the forebrain, as of a very tiny problem, solved. James Parker, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2023 Enzo’s men call him Commendatore, which is sure to give Sopranos fans a bit of a tickle, and Driver earns the title, his silver-haired tycoon lumbering through Ferrari with the quiet resolve of a general leading his troops into battle. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2023 Over the next 10 nights, another group of volunteers, human ones, sat outside their houses in villages nestled in the rainforest, keeping their arms and legs exposed in the damp dark, waiting for the faint tickle of a mosquito in search of blood. Stephanie Nolen Natalija Gormalova, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023 Tell-tale characteristics of a dry cough include a tickle in the throat and hacking sounds. Nicole Harris, Parents, 24 Aug. 2023 On game nights, the park, Square Léon, is buzzing with older men crowded around checker tables, little kids clambering up playground equipment and older women in West African dresses selling bags of homemade doughnuts and slushy ginger drinks that both tickle and soothe the throat. Catherine Porter James Hill, New York Times, 25 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tickle.' 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 tikelen; akin to Old English tinclian to tickle

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near tickle

Cite this Entry

“Tickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tickle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tickle

1 of 2 verb
tick·​le ˈtik-əl How to pronounce tickle (audio)
tickled; tickling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tickle (audio)
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
ˈtik-(ə-)lər
noun

tickle

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act of tickling
2
: a tickling sensation
3
: something that tickles

Medical Definition

tickle

1 of 2 verb
tick·​le ˈtik-əl How to pronounce tickle (audio)
tickled; tickling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tickle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
my back tickles
2
: 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

tickle

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act of tickling
2
: a tickling sensation
a cough is a reflex to a tickle in the throatKarl Menninger
3
: something that tickles

More from Merriam-Webster on tickle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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