chortle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of chortlenext
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement the joke provoked a sudden chortle from a bystander

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chortle

2 of 2

verb

ˈchȯr-tᵊl How to pronounce chortle (audio)
as in to laugh
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound audiences might chortle gently during the movie's amusing bits, but there are few knee-slappers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of chortle
Noun
Yoda made a slight sound of dissatisfaction, a grumbling chortle. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 May 2025 On the 101 in my bumper-car Prius, there’s one billboard that invariably gets a chortle out of me. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
Some will laugh at the suggestion and scroll through their social media apps to find a clip to point at and chortle. — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026 The nightingale flew around the fox’s head, the two of them chortling in their own indiscernible ways. — Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chortle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chortle
  1. chuckle
  2. laugh
  3. laughter
  4. giggle
  5. snicker
Noun
  • Walzer thought the matter through aloud with me, at one point letting out a small chuckle at his intellectual perplexity.
    — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • David’s Davidness—always eating a bowl of cereal before bed, hoarding Wagon Wheels, calling his artificial sweeteners ‘depth charges,’ laughing with a half-private chuckle at his own bad jokes—comes off the page in sparks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of chuckle
Verb
  • Zion, 11, is smart and creative and enjoys having fun and making others laugh.
    — The Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Foreman can often be seen making audiences laugh at Comedy In Harlem, which held a comedy show for Breast Cancer Awareness in October where 10% of the proceeds go toward breast cancer research and awareness.
    — Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • The pair barely crack more than a perfunctory smirk, in stark contrast to the uproarious laughter emanating from Fielder’s laptop screen.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • On the other, evidence suggests this pair of habitual time-wasters were commonly found on the floor, running laughter through a Yamaha SPX90 effects processor for kicks and strumming the same note for 40-odd minutes.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of laughter
Verb
  • Last episode, Jelly and Devin were out there giggling on the beach like Will and Grace with sand stuck in their coochies.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • During her September 30 visit with West Sussex Minibus, a volunteer transport organization in England that works to combat social isolation, Kate was photographed locking eyes and giggling with members of the local community.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of giggle
Noun
  • But there’s another 45 supremely indulgent auteur gunk that is snicker-worthy.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • As executed, the 2019 show is an emotional yet refreshingly unsentimental black comedy that snickers in the face of empowerment buzzwords like, well, healing journey.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of snicker

Browse Nearby Words

chorography
chortle
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Cite this Entry

“Chortle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chortle. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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