chortle 1 of 2

Definition of chortlenext
as in to laugh
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound audiences might chortle gently during the movie's amusing bits, but there are few knee-slappers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chortle
Noun
Yoda made a slight sound of dissatisfaction, a grumbling chortle. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 May 2025 On the 101 in my bumper-car Prius, there’s one billboard that invariably gets a chortle out of me. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
The nightingale flew around the fox’s head, the two of them chortling in their own indiscernible ways. Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025 Then, two sandhill cranes began chortling and calling to one another. Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chortle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chortle
Noun
  • There was a point in Patrick Paul’s ascension last season where his smirk, his hearty chuckles irritated, if not frustrated his opponents to the point of anger.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
  • For one, our laughs sound different based on context — from a polite chuckle among colleagues to a full-bodied guffaw with close friends.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Swift shared a glimpse of the fun on Instagram by posting some Polaroids of them laughing, hugging and enjoying red, white and blue Popsicles.
    Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
  • England would be a laughing stock (and already home) without him.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • Cataplexy is common in people with Type 1 narcolepsy and can be triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, excitement, surprise or anger.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Down at the bottom of the hill, four aspen trees by the barn flashed the lighter sides of their leaves and then flashed back, a silent laughter.
    Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • On a recent afternoon outside the temple in central Kerala, Raman stood motionless as two children played, giggling and hugging its trunk.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Jason got a good giggle out of his little brother while donning a Lucha Libre mask ahead of filming New Heights Live in LA in June.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The grown-ups in the audience snicker.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
  • There were snickers from some of the other students, including a tall and lank-haired kid whose name Adele didn’t know.
    Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chortle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortle. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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