tinkle

1 of 2

verb

tin·​kle ˈtiŋ-kəl How to pronounce tinkle (audio)
tinkled; tinkling ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tinkle (audio)
Synonyms of tinklenext

intransitive verb

1
: to make or emit a tinkle or a sound suggestive of a tinkle
2
: urinate

transitive verb

1
: to sound or make known (the time) by a tinkle
2
a
: to cause to make a tinkle
b
: to produce by tinkling
tinkle a tune

tinkle

2 of 2

noun

1
: a series of short high ringing or clinking sounds
2
: a jingling effect in verse or prose

Synonyms of tinkle

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Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tinkle in a Sentence

Verb The ice tinkled in the glass. A piano was tinkling in the background. He tinkled a small bell. Noun the soothing tinkle of the wind chime on the back porch
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The bell tinkled, but this time the shelves were empty. — Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 Eerie chants, tinkling percussion, zany strings, and plucky swelling piano. — Grace Byron, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
Periodically a mandolin tinkles, or maybe a fiddle swoops in as if from a low-hanging cloud. — Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2026 The door chime at their floral and gift shop tinkles every few minutes as another customer and friend comes in to collect their $10 bows. — Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for tinkle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, frequentative of tinken to tinkle, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tinkle was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing tinkle

Rhymes for tinkle

See All Rhymes for tinkle

Browse Nearby Words

tin-kettling
tinkle
tinkler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinkle. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tinkle

verb
tin·​kle
ˈtiŋ-kəl
tinkled; tinkling
-k(ə-)liŋ
: to make or cause to make a series of short high ringing or clinking sounds
tinkle noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tinkle

Nglish: Translation of tinkle for Spanish Speakers

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