Word
chuckle
Phoneticschuck·le, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈtʃəkəɫ/
UK/tʃˈʌkəl/
Definitions
01to laugh quietly
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.
“He read the funny text message and started to chuckle to himself.”
“The professor chuckled softly at the student's clever observation, acknowledging the wit without disrupting the flow of the seminar.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a quiet laugh
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a short, quiet laugh.
n. a quiet or suppressed act of laughter.
“The joke was not hilarious, but it gave everyone a little chuckle.”
“A low chuckle escaped his lips as he watched the puppy unsuccessfully attempt to climb onto the velvet sofa.”
Synonyms
03to cluck like a hen
C2 · Proficiency Archaic
v. to make the sound of a chicken.
v. to produce the characteristic sound of a hen; to cluck.
“In the old story, the mother hen would chuckle to call her babies.”
“The prose described how the poultry would chuckle and scratch in the dirt of the courtyard during the heat of the afternoon.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From chuck (“laugh”) + -le.
Perhaps from chock (“a log”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/chuckle