giggle

English

Etymology

Early 16th century, probably of imitative origin.

Or, perhaps a frequentative based on dialectal English gig (“to creak”), from Middle English gigen (“to make a creaking sound”) ‎ -le; or perhaps of Dutch or Low German origin: compare Saterland Frisian güüchelje (“to giggle”), West Frisian giechelje (“to giggle”), Dutch giechelen (“to giggle”), German Low German giecheln (“to giggle”), dialectal German giggln, gigglen (“to giggle”), German gickeln (“to giggle”). All of these words are likely onomatopoeic as well. Also compare Alemannic German Guege (“fiddle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɪɡl̩/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪɡəl

Verb

giggle (third-person singular simple present giggles, present participle giggling, simple past and past participle giggled)

1. To laugh gently in a playful, nervous, or affected manner.

   Synonyms: titter; see also Thesaurus:laugh

   The jokes had them giggling like little girls all evening.

Derived terms

• church giggles
• giggler
• gigglish
• gigglesome
• giggling Gertie
• gigglingly
• giggly

Translations

laugh

• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Basque: barre egin
• Bulgarian: кикотя се (kikotja se), хихикам (bg) (hihikam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 傻笑 (zh) (shǎxiào), 痴笑 (zh) (chīxiào), 嘻 (zh) (xī)

• Danish: fnise
• Dutch: giechelen (nl)
• Esperanto: subridi, subridaĉi
• Estonian: itsitama
• Finnish: kikattaa (fi), tirskua
• French: glousser (fr)
• Galician: rir (gl)
• Georgian: ხითხითებს (xitxitebs), ხითხითი (xitxiti)
• German: kichern (de)
• Greek: χαχανίζω (el) (chachanízo)

  Ancient: κιχλίζω (kikhlízō)

• Hungarian: kuncog (hu), vihog (hu)
• Icelandic: flissa
• Ingrian: kitissä
• Italian: ridacchiare (it)
• Japanese: くすくす笑う (kusukusu warau), けらけら笑う (kerakera warau)
• Kannada: [script needed] (vyangya nage), [script needed] (kisi), [script needed] (kisiyuvudu)
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: kikenti
• Macedonian: кикоти (kikoti), се кикоти (se kikoti)
• Maori: tīhohe, tīhohehohe, kata tīhohehohe
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian: fnise (no), knise (no)
• Persian: ریسه رفتن (rise raftan)
• Polish: chichotać (pl)
• Portuguese: dar risadinhas
• Romanian: chicoti (ro)
• Russian: хихи́кать (ru) impf (xixíkatʹ), хихи́кнуть (ru) pf (xixíknutʹ)
• Spanish: reír (es)
• Swedish: fnittra (sv), fnissa (sv)
• Tagalog: bungisngis
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: kıkırdamak (tr)
• Ukrainian: хихи́кати impf (xyxýkaty)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• Welsh: piffian, cilchwerthin
• Yiddish: כיכיקען (khikhiken)

Noun

giggle (plural giggles)

1. A high-pitched, silly laugh.
   • 1952 February, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 77:

     My audience to this not-too-easy operation was a small group of Scottish school lasses, who seemed (perhaps naturally) to find the proceedings somewhat mysterious, but at any rate amusing. I wished they would go away, but they didn't, so I had to get on with the job to the accompaniment of a background of giggles!

2. (informal) Fun; an amusing episode.

   We put itching powder down his shirt for giggles.

   The women thought it would be quite a giggle to have a strippergram at the bride's hen party.

   • 2013, Patricia Newell-Dunkley, Letters of a Travelling Lady, page 16:

     For my first English breakfast I had kippers and pink champagne - what a combination, still it was a bit of a giggle and I know I've really arrived.

Synonyms

• (laugh): titter
• (amusement): amusement, fun, a joke, a laugh or laughs

Derived terms

• church giggle
• giggle academy
• giggle berries
• giggle bin
• giggle box
• giggle dust
• giggle factory
• giggle gas
• giggle hat
• giggle house
• giggle juice
• giggle soup
• giggle stick
• giggle stick
• giggle suit
• giggle water
• giggle waterfor shits and giggles
• hit and giggle
• shits and giggles
• shits and giggles

 

Translations

laugh

• Arabic: اِفْتِرَار m (iftirār), اِنْكِلَال m (inkilāl)
• Bulgarian: кикот (bg) m (kikot), хихикане (bg) n (hihikane)
• Catalan: rialleta f
• Danish: fnis n
• Dutch: gegiechel (nl) n
• Finnish: kikatus (fi)
• French: gloussement (fr) m
• Galician: risiña f
• Georgian: ხითხითი (xitxiti)
• German: Gekicher (de) n
• Greek: χάχανο (el) n (cháchano)
• Macedonian: кикот m (kikot), кикотница f (kikotnica)
• Norwegian: fnising c, knising c
• Persian: ریسه (fa) (rise)
• Polish: chichot (pl) m
• Portuguese: risadinha f
• Russian: хихи́канье (ru) n (xixíkanʹje)
• Turkish: kıkırdama (tr)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• Welsh: cilchwerthiniad m, piff m

informal: amusement