a nervous giggle

  • 1giggle — gig|gle1 [ˈgıgəl] v past tense and past participle giggled present participle giggling [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: From the sound] to laugh quickly, quietly, and in a high voice, because something is funny or because you are nervous or embarrassed… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 2giggle — ► VERB ▪ laugh lightly in a nervous, affected, or silly manner. ► NOUN 1) a laugh of such a kind. 2) informal an amusing person or thing. DERIVATIVES giggler noun giggly adjective. ORIGIN imita …

    English terms dictionary

  • 3giggle — [gig′əl] vi. giggled, giggling [16th c., prob. < Du giggelen: for IE base see GIG1] to laugh with a series of uncontrollable, rapid, high pitched sounds in a silly or nervous way, as if trying to hold back; titter n. the act or sound of… …

    English World dictionary

  • 4giggle — I UK [ˈɡɪɡ(ə)l] / US verb [intransitive] Word forms giggle : present tense I/you/we/they giggle he/she/it giggles present participle giggling past tense giggled past participle giggled * to laugh in a nervous, excited, or silly way that is… …

    English dictionary

  • 5giggle — [[t]gɪ̱g(ə)l[/t]] giggles, giggling, giggled 1) VERB If someone giggles, they laugh in a childlike way, because they are amused, nervous, or embarrassed. Both girls began to giggle... [V with quote] I beg your pardon? she giggled. [V ing] ...a… …

    English dictionary

  • 6giggle — I n. a nervous; silly giggle II v. (D; intr.) to giggle at * * * [ gɪg(ə)l] silly giggle (D; intr.) to giggle at a nervous …

    Combinatory dictionary

  • 7giggle — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun ADJECTIVE ▪ little, slight, small ▪ high pitched ▪ hysterical, nervous ▪ girlish …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 8giggle — gig|gle1 [ gıgl ] verb intransitive * to laugh in a nervous, excited, or silly way that is difficult to control: The children whispered and giggled all the way through the film. giggle at: She giggles at the smallest thing. giggle gig|gle 2 [… …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 9nervous — adj. VERBS ▪ appear, be, feel, look, seem, sound ▪ Both men appeared nervous. ▪ become, get …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 10giggle — giggler, n. gigglingly, adv. giggly, adj. /gig euhl/, v., giggled, giggling, n. v.i. 1. to laugh in a silly, often high pitched way, esp. with short, repeated gasps and titters, as from juvenile or ill concealed amusement or nervous embarrassment …

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