Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense tickles, present participle tickling, past tense, past participle tickled
1. verb
When you tickle someone, you move your fingers lightly over a sensitive part of their body, often in order to make them laugh.
I was tickling him, and he was laughing and giggling. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: stroke, pet, chuck, touch lightly More Synonyms of tickle
2. verb
If something tickles you or tickles, it causes an irritating feeling by lightly touching a part of your body.
...a yellow hat with a great feather that tickled her ear. [VERB noun]
A beard doesn't scratch, it just tickles. [VERB]
3. verb
If a fact or a situation tickles you, it amuses you or gives you pleasure.
It tickles me to see him riled. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
The story was really funny–it tickled me. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: amuse, delight, entertain, please More Synonyms of tickle
tickledadjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
They all sounded just as tickled.
4.
See to be tickled pink
More Synonyms of tickle
tickle in British English
(ˈtɪkəl)
verb
1.
to touch, stroke, or poke (a person, part of the body, etc) so as to produce pleasure, laughter, or a twitching sensation
2. (transitive)
to excite pleasurably; gratify
3. (transitive)
to delight or entertain (often in the phrase tickle one's fancy)
4. (intransitive)
to itch or tingle
5. (transitive)
to catch (a fish, esp a trout) by grasping it with the hands and gently moving the fingers into its gills
6. tickle pink
noun
7.
a sensation of light stroking or itching
8.
the act of tickling
9. Canadian
(in the Atlantic Provinces) a narrow strait
Derived forms
tickly (ˈtickly)
adjective
Word origin
C14: related to Old English tinclian, Old High German kizziton, Old Norse kitla, Latin titillāre to titillate
tickle in American English
(ˈtɪkəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈtickled or ˈtickling
1.
to please, gratify, delight, etc.
often used in the passive voice with slang intensifiers, as tickled pink, tickled silly, or tickled to death
2.
to stir to amusement or laughter; amuse
3.
to excite the surface nerves of, as by touching or stroking lightly with the finger, a feather, etc., in a way that causes involuntary twitching, a pleasant tingling, laughter, etc.
verb intransitive
4.
to have an itching, scratching, or tingling sensation
a throat that tickles
5.
to cause a tickling sensation
that feather tickles
6.
to be readily affected by excitation of the surface nerves; be ticklish
noun
7.
a tickling or being tickled
8.
a tickling sensation
Word origin
ME tikelen, akin to Ger dial. zickeln, OE tinclian, to tickle: for IE base see tick3
Examples of 'tickle' in a sentence
tickle
But it is not just the hotspots that have tickled our fancy.
The Sun (2016)
YOU'LL be tickled pink with this saving.
The Sun (2015)
You just want to tickle his tummy until the full moon rises.
The Sun (2010)
What news story has tickled your fancy in recent months?
The Sun (2011)
But the two contemporary pieces really tickled the ear.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We were tickled pink with the whole notion of winning so much money.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Makes my nose tickle just looking at it.
The Sun (2011)
Choose the festive items that tickle your fancy and complete the form.
The Sun (2013)
And some calls that really tickle our fancy.
The Sun (2011)
But if he wants baseball bat if you just tickle him!
The Sun (2016)
If you are not a regular listener you will be amazed at how many of the programmes might tickle your fancy.
The Sun (2009)
When he reaches you, offer your hand casually and tickle his ears.
Standen, Chris Superdog! Action plans that work for a happy and well-behaved pet (1990)
The ear was tickled, the mind stretched.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The blokes were tickled pink, and the special editions went down a desert storm.
The Sun (2008)
Our ears are tickled, but our hearts are unchanged.
Christianity Today (2000)
Physical comedy is something that's always really tickled me.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Just touch, tickle or squeeze them to find out just how annoying they can be.
The Sun (2012)
Not only is it a useful gift, it will tickle her designer fancy.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In practice it didn't quite tickle the ear as one had hoped.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
If any of the above tickle your fancy, you can find out more online at ba.
The Sun (2014)
She will be tickled pink.
The Sun (2009)
His breath tickled my ear.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Pink fingers tickle yellow toes.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He could walk up to a horse and catch it, tickle a trout in our stream, and almost touch the wild rabbits.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
tickle
British English: tickle /ˈtɪkl/ VERB
When you tickle someone, you move your fingers lightly over their body, often in order to make them laugh.
I was tickling him, and he was laughing.
American English: tickle
Arabic: يُدَغْدَغُ
Brazilian Portuguese: fazer cócegas
Chinese: 胳肢
Croatian: škakljati
Czech: lechtat
Danish: kilde
Dutch: kietelen
European Spanish: hacer cosquillas
Finnish: kutittaa
French: chatouiller
German: kitzeln
Greek: γαργαλάω
Italian: fare il solletico
Japanese: くすぐる
Korean: 간질이다
Norwegian: kile
Polish: połaskotać
European Portuguese: fazer cócegas
Romanian: a gâdila
Russian: щекотать
Latin American Spanish: hacer cosquillas
Swedish: kittla
Thai: ทำให้จั๊กจี้
Turkish: gıdıklamak
Ukrainian: лоскотати
Vietnamese: cù
Chinese translation of 'tickle'
tickle
(ˈtɪkl)
vt
[person]挠(撓) (náo)
(fig, = amuse) 逗乐(樂) (dòulè)
vi
[feather, hair etc]发(發)痒(癢) (fāyǎng)
1 (verb)
Definition
to touch or stroke (someone), so as to produce laughter or a twitching sensation
I was tickling him, and he was laughing and giggling.
Synonyms
stroke
She was absentmindedly stroking her cat.
pet
A woman sat petting a cocker spaniel.
chuck
touch lightly
2 (verb)
Definition
to amuse or please
The story really tickled me.
Synonyms
amuse
The thought seemed to amuse her.
delight
The report has delighted environmentalists.
entertain
He entertained us with anecdotes about his job.
please
This comment pleased her immensely.
divert
diverting her with jokes and fiery arguments
gratify
She was gratified by his response.
titillate
food to titillate the most jaded of palates
Opposites
bore
,
annoy
,
irritate
,
trouble
,
bother
,
weary
3 (verb)
Interesting words tickle the imagination.
Synonyms
stimulate
I was stimulated to examine my deepest thoughts.
interest
This part of the book interests me in particular.
excite
The proposal failed to excite our interest.
appeal to
arouse
Some people are aroused by erotic novels.
captivate
Additional synonyms
in the sense of arouse
Some people are aroused by erotic novels.
Synonyms
excite sexually,
thrill,
stimulate,
provoke,
turn on (slang),
tease,
please,
get going,
tickle,
inflame,
tantalize,
make wild
in the sense of delight
Definition
to please greatly
The report has delighted environmentalists.
Synonyms
please,
satisfy,
content,
thrill,
charm,
cheer,
amuse,
divert,
enchant,
rejoice,
gratify,
ravish,
gladden,
give pleasure to,
tickle pink (informal)
in the sense of divert
Definition
to entertain or amuse
diverting her with jokes and fiery arguments
Synonyms
entertain,
delight,
amuse,
please,
charm,
gratify,
beguile,
regale
Nearby words of
tickle
tick someone off
tick something off
ticket
tickle
ticklish
tide
tide someone over
Synonyms of 'tickle'
tickle
Explore 'tickle' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of entertain
Definition
to provide amusement for (a person or audience)
He entertained us with anecdotes about his job.
Synonyms
amuse,
interest,
please,
delight,
occupy,
charm,
enthral,
cheer,
divert,
recreate (rare),
regale,
give pleasure to,
NtRtain
in the sense of excite
Definition
to cause or arouse (an emotion, response, etc.)
The proposal failed to excite our interest.
Synonyms
arouse,
stimulate,
provoke,
evoke,
rouse,
stir up,
fire,
elicit,
work up,
incite,
instigate,
whet,
kindle,
waken
in the sense of gratify
Definition
to satisfy or please (someone)
She was gratified by his response.
Synonyms
please,
delight,
satisfy,
thrill,
give pleasure,
gladden
in the sense of interest
Definition
to cause to become interested or involved in something
This part of the book interests me in particular.
Synonyms
arouse your curiosity,
engage,
appeal to,
fascinate,
move,
involve,
touch,
affect,
attract,
grip,
entertain,
absorb,
intrigue,
amuse,
divert,
rivet,
captivate,
catch your eye,
hold the attention of,
engross
in the sense of pet
Definition
to pat or stroke affectionately
A woman sat petting a cocker spaniel.
Synonyms
fondle,
pat,
stroke,
caress
in the sense of please
Definition
to give pleasure or satisfaction to (a person)
This comment pleased her immensely.
Synonyms
delight,
entertain,
humour,
amuse,
suit,
content,
satisfy,
charm,
cheer,
indulge,
tickle,
gratify,
gladden,
give pleasure to,
tickle someone pink (informal),
PLS
in the sense of titillate
Definition
to arouse or excite pleasurably, esp. in a sexual way