giggle
/ˈɡɪɡ(ə)l
/verb [no object]
Laugh lightly and repeatedly in a silly way, from amusement, nervousness, or embarrassment: they giggled at some private joke (as adjective giggling) three young, giggling girls...
- The girls were giggling nervously and the boys were introducing themselves.
- I walked over to the two young girls who were giggling about how some cute guys had talked to them.
- I sit and watch the others drift carelessly in, laughing and giggling about sordid things.
Synonyms
titter, snigger, snicker, tee-hee, give a half-suppressed laugh, chuckle, chortle;
smirk, sneer, simper
noun
1A light, silly laugh.But the chortles, chuckles and giggles are part of a much more serious project....
- At this seemingly baseless threat, Henry laughed an insane giggle which rang all throughout the courtyard.
- Maybe the sequel would bring a giggle and a laugh.
Synonyms
titter, snigger, snicker, tee-hee, half-suppressed laugh, chuckle, chortle;
smirk, sneer, simper
1.1 (the giggles) Continuous uncontrollable giggling: I got a fit of the giggles...
- And first the girls got the giggles, and then I did, and then even the King.
- The first symptoms appeared on January 30, when three girls got the giggles and couldn't stop laughing.
- The girls burst into another fit of the giggles.
1.2British informal An amusing person or thing; a joke: it should be a right giggle
Derivatives
giggler
/ noun ...- Even the hard-core gigglers fell instantly asleep.
- One Sunday, my class of ten year olds were giggling uncontrollably, and I remembered that the previous day in synagogue, the mother of one of the key gigglers had looked at me oddly.
- I'm a real giggler and I sometimes have to nip myself until it hurts to stop myself.
Origin
Early 16th century: imitative.