noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:chôr'təl
General-American:/ˈt͡ʃɔɹtəl/
General-American:[ˈt͡ʃɔɹɾɫ̩]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)təl
CMU ARPABET:CH AO1 R T AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He frequently interrupted himself with chortles while he told us his favorite joke.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A similar sounding vocalisation of various birds.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To laugh with a chortle or chortles.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
The old fellow chortled as he recalled his youthful adventures.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a soft partly suppressed laugh
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chuckle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: laugh, laughter
5
verb
Meaning 5
laugh quietly or with restraint
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chuckle, laugh softly
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: laugh, express joy, express mirth
History
Etymology
Perhaps a blend of chuckle + snort. Coined by Lewis Carroll in his poem Jabberwocky, completed in 1855 but only introduced to the public in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass.
Across languages
Translations
26 source translations are retained for this English entry.
