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tickle

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tickle¹

  • /ˈtɪkl̩/

Rhymes with -ɪkəl

Where it comes from

From Middle English tiklen, tikelen, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a frequentative form of Middle English tikken (“to touch lightly”), thus equivalent to tick + -le; or perhaps related to Old English tinclian (“to tickle”). Compare North Frisian tigele (“to tickle”) (Hallig dialect), and tiikle (“to tickle”) (Amrum dialect), German dialectal zicklen (“to excite; stir up”).

Alternatively, from a metathetic alteration of Middle English kitelen ("to tickle"; see kittle). Both are ultimately sound-symbolic.

noun tickles

  1. The act of tickling.
  2. An itchy feeling resembling the result of tickling. I have a persistent tickle in my throat.
  3. informal A light tap of the ball. There's a very fine line between a tickle and an edge!
  4. Newfoundland A narrow strait, such as between an island and the shore. Charts and Plans. [...] No. New Charts. 2253 England, and south coast—Dartmouth harbour. [...] 3320 Newfoundland, Thimble tickles and Glover harbour—Head of Seal bay.

verb tickles · tickling · tickled

  1. transitive To touch repeatedly or stroke delicately in a manner which typically causes laughter, pleasure and twitching. He tickled Nancy's tummy, and she started to giggle.
  2. intransitive, of a body part To feel as if the body part in question is being tickled. My nose tickles, and I'm going to sneeze!
  3. transitive To appeal to someone's taste, curiosity etc.
  4. transitive To cause delight or amusement in. He was tickled to receive such a wonderful gift.
  5. intransitive To feel titillation. He with secret joy therefore Did tickle inwardly in every vein.
  6. transitive To catch fish in the hand (usually in rivers or smaller streams) by manually stimulating the fins.
  7. archaic To be excited or heartened.

Similar: kittle

adjective more tickle · most tickle

  1. obsolete Changeable, capricious; insecure. So ticle be the termes of mortall state, And full of subtile sophismes, which do play With double senses, and with false debate […]

adverb more tickle · most tickle

  1. Insecurely, precariously, unstably. 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.

Tickle²

Where it comes from

From Tickhill in England.

proper noun Tickles

  1. A habitational surname from Old English.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: thrill, titillate, tingling, amuse, elate, divert, loath, your, ticklee, tinkle, lick, tinkling, rib-tickler, tick, tittering, vellication

verb

Similar: kittle

Translations

Every language

noun act of tickling

Españolcosquillas, coscas
Portuguêscócegas, cosca, cosquinha
Françaischatouille
DeutschKitzeln
Italianosolletico
Русскийщеко́тка ščekótka, щекота́ние ščekotánije
العربيةدَغْدَغَة daḡdaḡa

noun an itchy feeling resembling the result of tickling

Españolcosquilleo, hormigueo
中文痒 yáng, 痒感
Portuguêscócegas, cosca, cosquinha

verb to touch in a manner that causes tingling sensation

Españolhacer cosquillas, cosquillear
한국어간질이다 ganjirida
日本語擽る kusuguru
中文胳肢 gézhi, 癢癢 /痒痒 yǎngyang
हिन्दीगुदगुदाना gudgudānā
Portuguêsfazer cócegas, titilar, fazer cosca, fazer cosquinha
Françaischatouiller, faire guili-guili
Deutschkitzeln
Italianosolleticare, titillare
Ελληνικάγαργαλώ gargaló, γαργαλάω gargaláo
Românăgâdila
Русскийщекота́ть ščekotátʹ, пощекота́ть poščekotátʹ
Tiếng Việtcù, cù lét, chọc lét, thọc lét
العربيةدَغْدَغَ daḡdaḡa
עבריתדיגדג \ דִּגְדֵּג digdég

verb to feel as if being tickled

中文發癢 /发痒 fāyǎng

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Cite this
MLA

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

APA

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

Chicago

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

BibTeX
@misc{tickle_2026,
  title = {tickle},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tickle},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}