chuckle
UK: ˈtʃʌk(ə)l | US: ˈtʃʌk(ə)l
vi. to laugh quietly or inwardly
n. a quiet or suppressed laugh
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The word "chuckle" originated in the late 16th century, likely imitative in nature, mimicking the sound of suppressed laughter. The morpheme chuck echoes the repetitive, throaty noise of quiet laughter, while the suffix -le (common in English) indicates a repeated or diminutive action. Over time, "chuckle" evolved from describing animal sounds (e.g., a hen’s cluck) to denoting human laughter—retaining its association with soft, rhythmic amusement.
She couldn’t help but chuckle at his clumsy attempt to dance.
His joke elicited a quiet chuckle from the audience.
The old man would often chuckle to himself while reading the newspaper.
A faint chuckle escaped her lips when she saw the meme.
He gave a dry chuckle, unimpressed by the sarcastic remark.