chuckle
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to laugh quietly, often because you are thinking about something funny or trying to be polite.
v.to laugh in a quiet or suppressed manner, often expressive of internal amusement or satisfaction.
Simple“He read the funny text message and started to chuckle to himself.”
In context“The professor chuckled softly at the student's clever observation, acknowledging the wit without disrupting the flow of the seminar.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a short, quiet laugh.
n.a quiet or suppressed act of laughter.
Simple“The joke was not hilarious, but it gave everyone a little chuckle.”
In context“A low chuckle escaped his lips as he watched the puppy unsuccessfully attempt to climb onto the velvet sofa.”
Synonymsgigglechortle - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to make the sound of a chicken.
v.to produce the characteristic sound of a hen; to cluck.
Simple“In the old story, the mother hen would chuckle to call her babies.”
In context“The prose described how the poultry would chuckle and scratch in the dirt of the courtyard during the heat of the afternoon.”
Synonymscluck
From chuck (“laugh”) + -le.
Perhaps from chock (“a log”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.