Join free

rattle

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

rattle¹

  • /ˈɹæ.təl/
  • [ˈɹæ.tɫ̩]

Rhymes with -ætəl

Where it comes from

From Middle English ratelen, of uncertain origin; perhaps borrowed from Middle Dutch ratelen or of native origin related to Old English hratele, hrætele (“a plant known for its rustling or rattling sound”), ultimately imitative. The noun (c. 1500) is from the verb.

verb rattles · rattling · rattled

  1. ergative, transitive To create a rattling sound by shaking or striking. to rattle a chain
  2. figuratively, informal, transitive To scare, startle, unsettle, or unnerve. “Tut!” said old Bittlesham. “Tut is right”, I agreed. Then the rumminess of the thing struck me. “But if you haven’t dropped a parcel over the race,” I said, “why are you looking so rattled?”
  3. intransitive To make a rattling noise; to make noise by or from shaking. I wish the dashboard in my car would quit rattling.
  4. obsolete, transitive To assail, annoy, or stun with a rattling noise. Sound but another [drum], and another shall / As loud as thine rattle the welkin’s ear.
  5. obsolete, transitive To scold; to rail at. This came to the Bishop's Ear, who presently sent for the Curate, Rattled him to some Tune, with Menaces to the Highest Degree
  6. To drive or ride briskly, so as to make a clattering. We rattled along for a couple of miles.
  7. To make a clatter with one's voice; to talk rapidly and idly; often with on or away. She rattled on for an hour.
  8. UK, slang To experience withdrawal from drugs.

noun rattles

  1. countable, uncountable Any of various plants of the genera Rhinanthus and Pedicularis, whose seeds produce a rattling noise in the wind.
  2. countable, uncountable A baby’s toy designed to make sound when shaken, usually containing loose grains or pellets in a hollow container. Pleas'd with a rattle, tickled with a straw.
  3. countable, uncountable A musical instrument that makes a rattling sound. The rattles of Isis and the cymbals of Brasilea nearly enough resemble each other.
  4. countable, uncountable A device which produces a loud rattling sound, especially one having a ratchet mechanism and spun round on a handle. [T]he footpath to Hendon went across hay and corn fields and in summer the sound of rattles used by boys hired to "fray" the birds from the crops was familiar.
  5. countable, uncountable The set of rings at the end of a rattlesnake's tail which produce a rattling sound. The rattle of the rattlesnake is composed of the hardened terminal scales, loosened in succession, but not cast off, and modified in form so as to make a series of loose, hollow joints.
  6. countable, onomatopoeic, uncountable A rapid succession of percussive sounds, as made by loose objects shaking or vibrating against one another. I wish they would fix the rattle under my dashboard.
  7. archaic, countable, uncountable Noisy, rapid talk; babble. All this adoe about the golden age is but an empty rattle and frivolous conceipt.
  8. archaic, uncountable Trivial chatter; gossip. “And pray where, Lady Honoria,” cried Mrs. Delvile, “do you contrive to pick up all this rattle?”
  9. countable, uncountable A noisy, senseless talker; a jabberer. ‘Sir James is a young Man of an amiable disposition, and excellent character;—a little too much of the Rattle perhaps, but a year or two will rectify that […].’
  10. countable, obsolete, uncountable A scolding; a sharp rebuke.
  11. countable, uncountable A rough noise produced in the throat by air passing through obstructed airways; croup; a death rattle.

rattle²

  • /ˈɹæ.təl/
  • [ˈɹæ.tɫ̩]

Rhymes with -ætəl

Where it comes from

From Arabic رَطْل (raṭl), variant of classical رِطْل (riṭl), ultimately from Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra). Doublet of liter.

noun rattles

  1. alternative, historical Alternative form of rottol: a former Middle Eastern and North African unit of dry weight usually equal to 1–5 lb (0.5–2.5 kg).

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: shake, jolt, shaking, noise, stir, tremble, shiver, agitate, hit, sway, worry, disconcert, disassemble, dismantle, simple, twitch

Translations

Every language

verb to create a sound by shaking

Españoltraquetear, sonajear
Portuguêschocalhar, chacoalhar
Françaiscliqueter
Deutschrasseln, scheppern
Русскийтреща́ть treščátʹ, потреща́ть potreščátʹ, тре́снуть trésnutʹ, грохота́ть groxotátʹ, прогрохота́ть progroxotátʹ, греме́ть gremétʹ
Tiếng Việtrung lách cách, rung lạch cạch

verb to scare, startle, unsettle, or unnerve

Españolinquietar
Portuguêsinquietar, desconcertar
Françaisinquiéter
Deutschverunsichern
Русскийпугать pugatʹ

verb to make a rattling noise

Españoltraquetear, cascabelear, tracatear
Portuguêschocalhar, chacoalhar
Françaisfaire s'entrechoquer
Deutschrasseln
Italianosferragliare
Русскийтреща́ть treščátʹ, потреща́ть potreščátʹ, тре́снуть trésnutʹ, грохота́ть groxotátʹ, прогрохота́ть progroxotátʹ, греме́ть gremétʹ
العربيةقَعْقَعَ qaʕqaʕa

verb to make a rattling noise in the chest whilst breathing

Françaisrâler

verb to scold; to rail at

Françaisgronder, houspiller, tancer

noun sound

Españolmatraca
日本語ガタガタ音 gatagata-on
Kiswahilikayamba
Portuguêschocalhada
Françaisbruit, cliquetis, crépitement
DeutschRasseln, Klappern, Gerassel, Geklapper
Русскийтреск tresk, гро́хот gróxot, дребезжа́ние drebezžánije, стук stuk
Tiếng Việtlách cách, lạch cạch

noun zoology: organ that produces a rattling sound

Portuguêschocalho, guizo, cascavel

noun sound made in the throat whilst breathing when mucus is not fully cleared

Françaisrâle

noun baby’s toy

Españolsonajero, sonaja, cascabel
한국어딸랑이 ttallang'i
日本語ガラガラ garagara
中文手搖鈴 /手摇铃 shǒuyáolíng
हिन्दीझुनझुना jhunjhunā
Portuguêschocalho
Françaishochet
DeutschRassel, Klapper
Italianosonaglio
Ελληνικάκουδουνίστρα koudounístra
Русскийпогрему́шка pogremúška, трещо́тка treščótka
العربيةخُشْخِيشَة ḵušḵīša, شُخْلِيلَة šuḵlīla
עבריתרעשן raashán

noun musical instrument

Portuguêschocalho
Русскийтрещо́тка treščótka

noun a device that makes a rattling noise

Portuguêschocalho
Русскийколоту́шка kolotúška, трещо́тка treščótka

noun noisy, rapid talk

Portuguêsbalbúrdia, vozerio
Русскийболтовня́ boltovnjá, трескотня́ treskotnjá

noun noisy, senseless talker

Portuguêsmatraca, grafonola
Русскийболту́н boltún, болту́нья boltúnʹja, пустоме́ля pustomélja

noun scolding, sharp rebuke

Portuguêsbronca, reprimenda, repreensão

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"rattle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rattle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

rattle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rattle

Chicago

"rattle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rattle.

BibTeX
@misc{rattle_2026,
  title = {rattle},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rattle},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}