chuckles

chuck-les · verb

imported

Definitions

verb

  1. 1.

    (verb, third person singular) Laughs quietly or inwardly with amusement.

  2. 2.

    (noun, plural) Quiet, suppressed laughs expressing amusement.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    chuckles under one's breath — laughing quietly to oneself
  • •
    gets a few chuckles — generates some amusement
  • •
    a round of chuckles — a collective quiet laugh from a group

Related words

Antonyms: cries, sobs, weeps
See also: chuckle, giggle, laugh, snicker
Synonyms: giggles, laughs, snickers

Etymology

Likely of imitative origin, representing the sound of a quiet laugh. First recorded in English in the late 16th century. Related to "chuck," an old word for a clucking sound, suggesting the soft, repeated sound of quiet laughter.