MEANING
To laugh softly, often with some restraint rather than an open burst.
Use it for
describing low, quiet amusement; showing a character enjoying a private joke; letting someone react without loud laughter; distinguishing gentle laughter from a mocking snickerNames quiet, low-key laughter without the nervousness of a titter or the unkindness often suggested by snickering. Writing functions: Body language / Restrained amusement.
Words that belong together
- chuckle softly
- a quiet chuckle
- chuckle to oneself
On the page
She chuckled to herself at the note in the margin.
A quiet chuckle from the back of the room broke the awkward pause.
Word forms
- Base
- chuckle
- Past tense
- chuckled
- Past participle
- chuckled
- Present participle
- chuckling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- chuckle
- Present continuous
- am/is/are chuckling
- Present perfect
- have/has chuckled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been chuckling
- Past
- chuckled
- Past continuous
- was/were chuckling
- Past perfect
- had chuckled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been chuckling
- Future
- will chuckle
- Future continuous
- will be chuckling
- Future perfect
- will have chuckled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been chuckling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Intransitive verb and countable noun. Verb: chuckle; chuckles; chuckled; chuckled; chuckling. Noun: a chuckle; plural chuckles. Future: will chuckle. Register: neutral. Commonness: common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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