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to gargle

to gargle

3 4.4
To make a bubbling sound while trying to speak
  • verb
  • /ˈɡɑrɡəl/
translation icon : gorgotear
  • Birdsong ricochets through the city blocks, and three stories below, the Gypsy woman gargles in two tones at once.
  • gargling screams

Hey, do you jewel just gargling vowels?

Examples

  • After feeling a sore throat coming on, I decided to gargle with warm salt water to soothe it.

  • When he had a cold, he would always gargle with mouthwash to relieve the symptoms.

  • - Why don't you gargle with something to get rid of that wine on your breath?

  • Well, I gargle barbecue sauce like Listerine before these things.

  • "Oh, Lord!" I gargled into the mouthpiece.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • She hands me the envelope, unlocks the door, and goes to the bathroom, where she begins to gargle furiously.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • At least, the crows have moved in in quantity, yakking and gargling in the treetops all day, and we don't hear scrub jays swearing at the cat anymore.

    Blog text (9)
  • She began to gargle loudly, making strange bubbling sounds that echoed in the bathroom.

Synonyms

gurgle
vsto gargle
10 3.5

A bubbling sound like water moving in a bottle

is produced by the voice as a bubbling or throat sound
to guggle
vsto gargle
1 9.9

To make a soft bubbling sound when liquid moves or someone pours it

is produced by the voice with a bubbling throat quality
burbling
vsto gargle
7.4

A lively, excited way of speaking or laughing that sounds like soft bubbles

is more neutral, focusing on throat or bubble quality not enthusiasm

How Guttural

gurgle
10 3.5
to gargle
3 4.4
to slur
3 6.3
to speak
  • Literature
569 6.5

Surface Forms

gargle infinitive
gargled past
gargled past participle
gargling present participle
gargles third person singular

Etymology

To gargle words means to make a bubbling, unclear sound when you speak, coming from the same idea that your throat gurgles, so your voice sounds wet or broken.