Chortle: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Chortle verb. To laugh in a gleeful, chuckling way.
How to say it
CHOR-tul/ˈtʃɔːt(ə)l/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (CHOR). Forms: chortled.
Chortle in a sentence
She chortled over the letters page every Saturday morning.
He chortled as his opponent's ball rolled gently into the pond.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- chuckle
- cackle
- giggle
- laugh
Where chortle comes from
Coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass (1871), probably from chuckle and snort.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
He _____ as his opponent's ball rolled gently into the pond.
- defenestrate
- chortle
- snigger
Show the answer
chortle: He chortled as his opponent's ball rolled gently into the pond.