tickled; tickling
ˈti-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to touch (a body part, a person, etc.) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
2
3
: to touch or stir gently
a pianist tickling the ivories
1
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
my back tickles
2
: to excite the surface nerves to prickle
Examples of tickle in a Sentence
Verb
Her little brother screamed with laughter as she tickled him.
The tag on the sweater tickled his neck.
My nose started to tickle.
Don't touch me there; it tickles.
We were tickled by the invitation.
The idea of going to the party tickled her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Bratton, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2024
As its rumbly base rests in your palm, this external vibrator covers more surface area and can be used to tickle and tantalize just about any sweet spot on your body.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Mar. 2024
My Greek husband is tickled by the rise of land acknowledgements.
—Hazlitt, 17 Jan. 2024
Another sweep reveals a slightly older sunglass-and-brown-blazer-wearing Joel tickling the ivories before a final montage shows Joel on stage, backstage, in the studio and with his kids throughout his half-century career.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Feb. 2024
For 3 is our weekly look at basketball news from USD, UC San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene ... plus whatever else tickles the twine.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2024
She seems genuinely tickled by the lucky break too, handing me one for the road.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
History buffs will be tickled to unwrap this custom hardcover book that features The New York Times front pages from every year since their birth.
—Paula Lee, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2024
Jacques Chirac stands out as a president who visibly enjoyed the Salon, lingering at the stands, tickling calves, eating and drinking everything put in front of him.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024
In the time of COVID, gnarly colds, gross stomach viruses, a throat tickle, runny nose, or rumbling gut might be a sign of something that can get someone else sick (and sometimes really sick).
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Jan. 2024
The tumbler is a lovely vessel for infused fruit waters, which are also typically found in a hotel lobby, and really comes in handy at night when guests may need to take medications, brush their teeth, or handle a dry tickle or cough.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2023
Throat lozenges numb your airways, temporarily getting rid of that tickle that causes a persistent cough, says Dr. Enfield.
—Julia Ries, SELF, 19 Oct. 2023
Or if not laughter, then perhaps just a faint tickle in the forebrain, as of a very tiny problem, solved.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2023
Enzo’s men call him Commendatore, which is sure to give Sopranos fans a bit of a tickle, and Driver earns the title, his silver-haired tycoon lumbering through Ferrari with the quiet resolve of a general leading his troops into battle.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2023
Over the next 10 nights, another group of volunteers, human ones, sat outside their houses in villages nestled in the rainforest, keeping their arms and legs exposed in the damp dark, waiting for the faint tickle of a mosquito in search of blood.
—Stephanie Nolen Natalija Gormalova, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Tell-tale characteristics of a dry cough include a tickle in the throat and hacking sounds.
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 24 Aug. 2023
Verb
Reddit’s first day of trading Thursday was a soft ringtone tickling the ear of a sleepy IPO market.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2024
As its rumbly base rests in your palm, this external vibrator covers more surface area and can be used to tickle and tantalize just about any sweet spot on your body.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Mar. 2024
My Greek husband is tickled by the rise of land acknowledgements.
—Hazlitt, 17 Jan. 2024
Another sweep reveals a slightly older sunglass-and-brown-blazer-wearing Joel tickling the ivories before a final montage shows Joel on stage, backstage, in the studio and with his kids throughout his half-century career.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Feb. 2024
For 3 is our weekly look at basketball news from USD, UC San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene ... plus whatever else tickles the twine.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2024
She seems genuinely tickled by the lucky break too, handing me one for the road.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
History buffs will be tickled to unwrap this custom hardcover book that features The New York Times front pages from every year since their birth.
—Paula Lee, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2024
Jacques Chirac stands out as a president who visibly enjoyed the Salon, lingering at the stands, tickling calves, eating and drinking everything put in front of him.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Each mouthful of light, bright seafood ended with a tickle of spice.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024
In the time of COVID, gnarly colds, gross stomach viruses, a throat tickle, runny nose, or rumbling gut might be a sign of something that can get someone else sick (and sometimes really sick).
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Jan. 2024
The tumbler is a lovely vessel for infused fruit waters, which are also typically found in a hotel lobby, and really comes in handy at night when guests may need to take medications, brush their teeth, or handle a dry tickle or cough.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2023
Throat lozenges numb your airways, temporarily getting rid of that tickle that causes a persistent cough, says Dr. Enfield.
—Julia Ries, SELF, 19 Oct. 2023
Or if not laughter, then perhaps just a faint tickle in the forebrain, as of a very tiny problem, solved.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2023
Enzo’s men call him Commendatore, which is sure to give Sopranos fans a bit of a tickle, and Driver earns the title, his silver-haired tycoon lumbering through Ferrari with the quiet resolve of a general leading his troops into battle.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2023
Over the next 10 nights, another group of volunteers, human ones, sat outside their houses in villages nestled in the rainforest, keeping their arms and legs exposed in the damp dark, waiting for the faint tickle of a mosquito in search of blood.
—Stephanie Nolen Natalija Gormalova, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Tell-tale characteristics of a dry cough include a tickle in the throat and hacking sounds.
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 24 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tickle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tickle
Cite this Entry
“Tickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tickle. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tickle
1 of 2 verb
tick·le
ˈtik-əl
tickled; tickling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to touch a body part lightly so as to cause uneasiness, laughter, or jerky movements
2
: to have a tingling or prickling sensation
3
a
: to excite or stir up agreeably : please
food that tickles your taste buds
b
: to stir to laughter or merriment
were tickled by the clown's antics
tickler
noun
ˈtik-(ə-)lər
tickle
2 of 2 noun1
: the act of tickling
2
: a tickling sensation
3
: something that tickles
Medical Definition
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