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tickle
[ tik-uhl ]
verb (used with object)
- to touch or stroke lightly with the fingers, a feather, etc., so as to excite a tingling or itching sensation in; titillate.
- to poke some sensitive part of the body so as to excite spasmodic laughter.
- to excite agreeably; gratify:
to tickle someone's vanity.
- to excite amusement in:
The clown's antics really tickled the kids.
- to get, move, etc., by or as by tickling:
She tickled him into saying yes.
- to stroke the underbelly of (a fish, especially a trout) until it goes into a trancelike state, making it possible to scoop it out of the water: the ability to tickle a fish, often contested as more mythical than actual, has been written of and embellished on since ancient times:
He tickled that fish until it stopped moving, and the next thing I knew, we were having trout for dinner!
verb (used without object)
- to be affected with a tingling or itching sensation, as from light touches or strokes:
I tickle all over.
- to produce such a sensation.
noun
- an act or instance of tickling.
- a tickling sensation.
tickle
/ ˈtɪkəl /
verb
- to touch, stroke, or poke (a person, part of the body, etc) so as to produce pleasure, laughter, or a twitching sensation
- tr to excite pleasurably; gratify
- tr to delight or entertain (often in the phrase tickle one's fancy )
- intr to itch or tingle
- tr to catch (a fish, esp a trout) by grasping it with the hands and gently moving the fingers into its gills
- tickle pink or tickle to death informal.to please greatly
he was tickled pink to be elected president
noun
- a sensation of light stroking or itching
- the act of tickling
- (in the Atlantic Provinces) a narrow strait
Derived Forms
- ˈtickly, adjective
Other Words From
- un·tickled adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of tickle1
Idioms and Phrases
- tickled pink, Informal. greatly pleased:
She was tickled pink that he had remembered her birthday.
Example Sentences
No doubt that reaction would tickle Trump, who shuns coalition-building out of the belief that arm-twisting is a superior way to control his caucus.
The result is a punch of spice, a tickle of tang and a soupçon of sweet.
The Dodgers’ flight home from New York has barely tickled the runway.
Still, for every resident grousing about traffic, there were more who said they were tickled by Harris’ presence, and bristled at what they see as others’ unneighborly attitudes.
But Masood has been open about his admiration for England's attacking intent and dished out some aggression of his own after Ayub tickled down the leg side from Atkinson's 10th delivery of the day.
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More About Tickle
What is a basic definition of tickle?
Tickle means to touch sensitive body parts in order to cause laughter, to stroke lightly to cause an itching sensation, or to excite. Tickle has several other senses as a verb and a noun.
You might tickle your baby brother as part of playing to get him to laugh. Tickling involves touching sensitive body parts, such as the stomach or armpits, to cause involuntary laughter. It is usually done with the fingers, fingernails, or a feather. If someone is especially easy to make laugh by tickling, they are said to be ticklish.
- Real-life examples: Parents often tickle babies or their children to make them laugh or cheer them up. Kids might tickle each other while playing. A person should always have permission before they tickle you.
- Used in a sentence: When my daughter is sad, I can usually cheer her up by tickling her.
Tickle can also mean to cause an itching or tingling sensation. It is also used to mean to experience an itching or tingling sensation.
- Real-life examples: An uncomfortable sweater may tickle your neck. A pleasant smell can tickle your nose. A bug bite on your leg may cause your leg tickle.
- Used in a sentence: The wind tickled the hairs on the back of my neck.
Tickle can also be used in this sense as a noun to mean an itching or tingling sensation.
- Used in a sentence: I felt a slight tickle on my knee after going through the poison ivy bush.
Tickle can also mean to excite or to please.
- Used in a sentence: The gorgeous dress tickled her sense of style.
Where does tickle come from?
The first records of tickle come from the early 1300s. It comes from the Middle English verb tikelen. Any earlier origin is uncertain.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to tickle?
What are some synonyms for tickle?
What are some words that share a root or word element with tickle?
What are some words that often get used in discussing tickle?
How is tickle used in real life?
Tickle most often means to make someone laugh by lighting touching sensitive body parts.
I went to go tickle my daughter while she was laying down and she kicked me in the face. How’s your day going?
— Dana Scanna (@KillerPiglet1) December 14, 2019
The one thing I hate about my dogs following me around the house 24/7 is that about 30 times a day their tails tickle my leg and I jump and smack my leg thinking it’s a spider.
— Alyssa Nicklas (@Lyss_Nicklas11) December 21, 2018
How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh?
Ten tickles.
— Sana (@s1nab) January 25, 2021
Try using tickle!
Which of the following words would most likely be used to describe someone who is being tickled?
A. pain
B. laughter
C. sadness
D. cold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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