tickle

TIK-uhl/ˈtɪkl̩/

Verbtickles, tickling, tickled

Noun pluraltickles

13 meanings of tickle

Practice

1
verbtransitive
To touch someone's skin lightly again and again so they laugh or wriggle.
Like running a feather over someone's skin to make them laugh.
She loves to tickle her baby's feet until he giggles.
Stop tickling me. I can't stop laughing!
Note
2
verbtransitive
To make someone feel happy, amused, or pleased.
Like a joke that keeps making you smile all day.
The clown's silly tricks tickled the whole class.
Funny stories always tickle her.
Similaramuse, delight, please, entertain, charm
Oppositebore, annoy
Note
3
nouncountable
The act of touching someone lightly to make them laugh or wriggle.
Like a quick poke that makes you burst out laughing.
A quick tickle on the neck made her jump.
The kids begged for one more tickle before bed.
Similarstroke, scratch
4
nouncountable
An itchy feeling, like the one you get when someone tickles you.
Like a tiny itch that makes you want to scratch.
She felt a tickle in her throat and started to cough.
A tickle in his nose made him sneeze.
Similaritch, tingle, prickle, irritation
5
verbtransitive
To make someone interested or curious about something.
Like a smell that makes you want to find out what's cooking.
The mystery box tickled their curiosity at once.
New flavors always tickle his taste buds.
Similarpique, arouse, stimulate, excite, tantalize
6
verbintransitive
When a part of your body feels as if something is tickling it.
Like when your skin feels funny after a bug crawls over it.
My ears tickle in the cold wind.
Her scalp tickled under the new wool hat.
Similartingle, itch, prickle
Note
7
verbintransitive
To feel a pleasant, exciting kind of stirring inside.
Like the happy buzz you feel before a big treat.
My senses tickle whenever the music swells.
She tickled with delight at the news.
Similarthrill, tingle, stir, quiver
Note
8
verbtransitive
To catch a fish with your bare hands by gently rubbing it in the water.
Like slowly stroking a fish until you can grab hold of it.
Poachers used to tickle trout in the shallow stream.
She tickled a fat salmon right out of the river.
9
nouncolloquialcountable
A soft tap of the bat that sends the ball gently off to one side.
Like a soft nudge that keeps a marble rolling along.
He got a quick tickle past the fielder for a single.
A faint tickle off the bat sent the ball to the boundary.
Similarglance, nick, flick, deflection, tap
Note
10
noundialectalNewfoundlandcountable
A narrow channel of water, such as the one between an island and the coast.
Like a thin lane of water squeezed between two pieces of land.
The boat slipped through the tickle at high tide.
Their cabin looked out over a calm tickle between two islands.
Similarstrait, channel, narrows, gut
Note

Less common meanings

11
adverbobsolete
In an unsteady, risky way, not firmly fixed.
Lucio. I warrant it is: And thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders, that a milke-maid, if she be in loue, may sigh it off: Send after the Duke, and appeale to him.
c. 1603, William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”Here, tickle means unsteady, likely to fall off easily.
Note
12
verbarchaic
To feel suddenly excited, cheered, or full of good spirits.
Like the happy bounce you feel on your birthday morning.
Their hearts tickle with hope at the good news.
He tickled with joy when the ship came home.
Note
13
adjectiveobsolete
Likely to change at any moment, and not steady or to be trusted.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of tickle apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English tiklen, of uncertain origin. It may come from tikken, meaning 'to touch lightly.'