# giggle

Pronunciation: say "GIG-uhl" /ˈɡɪɡl̩/

## Verb

1. To give a light, soft laugh, whether from playfulness, nervousness, or affectation.
   - Simple: To laugh in a quiet, silly way, often because you feel happy or nervous.
   - _Students often giggle nervously when the teacher calls on them unexpectedly._
   - _He giggled at the joke despite trying hard to keep a straight face._

## Noun

2. A high-pitched, silly laugh.
   - Simple: A silly little laugh that sounds high and squeaky.
   - _A soft giggle gave away her hiding spot behind the curtain._
   - _Their giggles echoed through the empty classroom long after the bell rang._
3. Fun, or an amusing situation or episode. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Something fun, or a moment that makes people laugh.
   - _The office party turned out to be a good giggle after all._
   - _Painting the fence together was more of a giggle than a chore._

## Origin

First recorded in the early 16th century, this word is probably of imitative origin. It may be a frequentative of the dialectal English gig ("to creak"), from Middle English gigen, or it may come from Dutch or Low German: compare Dutch giechelen and German gickeln, all likely echoing the sound of laughter.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/giggle (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).