tickle
1 of 2verb
tick·le ˈti-kəl 
tickled; tickling ˈti-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
2
a
: to excite or stir up agreeably : please
music … does more than tickle our sense of rhythm
Edward Sapir
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
2 of 2noun
1
: the act of tickling
2
: a tickling sensation
3
: something that tickles
Example Sentences
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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Karla Pope, Good Housekeeping, 14 Aug. 2022 And of all the food-adjacent products in all the land, collagen supplements tickle our vanity the very most. Maggie Lange, Bon Appétit, 22 July 2022 If dad has an envelope-pushing sense of humor, tickle his funny bone with a collection of cartoons rejected by The New Yorker — because they were judged too dumb, too weird, or too dirty. Alesandra Dubin, Woman's Day, 12 June 2022 Here’s a baker’s dozen of recommendations that will tickle your ears. oregonlive, 8 June 2022 Song-guessing game Heardle continues to tickle the earbuds of music fans around the world, allowing players to guess a song based on increasingly long snippets of its introduction. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022 Don’t fret, there are also cozy sweatpants and lightweight shorts that are sure to tickle your fancy. Daisy Maldonado, SELF, 25 Mar. 2022 Or of eliminating elders from a show that wanted to tickle the fancy of young viewers? Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022 Obama picked Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice, and a woman no less, which managed to tickle the intersectional sweet spot for progressives. Damon Linker, The Week, 27 Jan. 2022 San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2022 At first, covid-19 started as a simple cold, a runny nose, a tickle in my throat. Carolyn Van Houten, Washington Post, 24 July 2020 To kick things off, the G-Node sends a tickle of power through it. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 17 Feb. 2022 Is that familiar allergic tickle in your throat showing up earlier in the spring? Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Mar. 2022 There’s that little primordial tickle at the base of your brain. Tom Vanderbilt, Outside Online, 28 Feb. 2022 This tickle turns into a wave, though, and that is what gets the heart cells in the cyborg fish moving. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 17 Feb. 2022 Jose Ramirez, a fast-food worker in San Francisco, woke up on New Year’s Eve with a tickle in his throat. New York Times, 4 Feb. 2022 Recently, the mayor has had a tickle in her throat that sometimes swells to a quaver in her voice, cutting her off prematurely in conversations and news conferences. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Jan. 2022 See More
Verb
If so, these comical names might tickle your fancy. Karla Pope, Good Housekeeping, 14 Aug. 2022 And of all the food-adjacent products in all the land, collagen supplements tickle our vanity the very most. Maggie Lange, Bon Appétit, 22 July 2022 If dad has an envelope-pushing sense of humor, tickle his funny bone with a collection of cartoons rejected by The New Yorker — because they were judged too dumb, too weird, or too dirty. Alesandra Dubin, Woman's Day, 12 June 2022 Here’s a baker’s dozen of recommendations that will tickle your ears. oregonlive, 8 June 2022 Song-guessing game Heardle continues to tickle the earbuds of music fans around the world, allowing players to guess a song based on increasingly long snippets of its introduction. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022 Don’t fret, there are also cozy sweatpants and lightweight shorts that are sure to tickle your fancy. Daisy Maldonado, SELF, 25 Mar. 2022 Or of eliminating elders from a show that wanted to tickle the fancy of young viewers? Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022 Obama picked Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice, and a woman no less, which managed to tickle the intersectional sweet spot for progressives. Damon Linker, The Week, 27 Jan. 2022 Noun
Sheryl Lee Ralph’s hair, Natalie Zea’s eyelids for starters) seem to be an early tickle of a trend. San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2022 At first, covid-19 started as a simple cold, a runny nose, a tickle in my throat. Carolyn Van Houten, Washington Post, 24 July 2020 To kick things off, the G-Node sends a tickle of power through it. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 17 Feb. 2022 Is that familiar allergic tickle in your throat showing up earlier in the spring? Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Mar. 2022 There’s that little primordial tickle at the base of your brain. Tom Vanderbilt, Outside Online, 28 Feb. 2022 This tickle turns into a wave, though, and that is what gets the heart cells in the cyborg fish moving. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 17 Feb. 2022 Jose Ramirez, a fast-food worker in San Francisco, woke up on New Year’s Eve with a tickle in his throat. New York Times, 4 Feb. 2022 Recently, the mayor has had a tickle in her throat that sometimes swells to a quaver in her voice, cutting her off prematurely in conversations and news conferences. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Jan. 2022 See More 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
Phrases Containing tickle
Kids Definition
tickle 1 of 2
verb
tick·le ˈti-kəl
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 sense 2
… Avery was tickled to find himself so wet … E. B. White, Charlotte's Web
E. B. White, Charlotte's Webtickle
2 of 2noun
: a tingling or prickling sensation
Medical Definition
tickle 1 of 2
verb
tick·le ˈtik-əl
tickled; tickling -(ə-)liŋ
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 2noun
1
: the act of tickling
2
: a tickling sensation
a cough is a reflex to a tickle in the throat Karl Menninger
Karl Menninger3
: something that tickles
tickle
verb
1
as in to itch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- itch
- tingle
- sting
- hole
- tap
- perforate
- pierce
- bore
- prickle
- puncture
- drill
- punch
- penetrate
- prick
- riddle
- poke
- broach
- gouge
- hollow
- excavate
- groove
- burrow (into)
2
as in to titillate
Synonyms & Similar Words
- titillate
- amuse
- excite
- satiate
- sate
- placate
- quench
- entertain
- appease
- captivate
- assuage
- soothe
- mollify
- gladden
- pacify
- gratify
- treat
- delight
- divert
- warm
- thrill
- pleasure
- please
- content
- feast
- pamper
- galvanize
- charm
- satisfy
- suit
- comfort
- humor
- indulge
- rejoice
- coddle
- glad
- gas
- calm
- mollycoddle
- agree (with)
- spoil
- cater (to)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- irritate
- annoy
- aggravate
- get
- ruffle
- displease
- provoke
- bother
- vex
- perturb
- bug
- pique
- inflame
- exasperate
- chafe
- cross
- irk
- rile
- rouse
- rankle
- infuriate
- enrage
- anger
- put out
- grate
- disturb
- outrage
- gall
- roil
- agitate
- steam up
- distress
- upset
- harass
- enflame
- pester
- offend
- fret
- incense
- madden
- insult
- nettle
- harry
- peeve
- affront