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to tickle

to tickle

94 1.0
To touch someone lightly so they feel a tingle or laugh
  • verb
  • /ˈtɪkəl/
translation icon : hacer cosquillas (a alguien)
  • When I tickle my daughter, she can't help but laugh uncontrollably.

And that is, why can't we tickle ourselves?

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Examples

  • Michael screams with laughter as he tries to tickle him back.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • All I remember was somebody tickling me.

  • Just always having someone to tickle my back.

  • I wanna kiss her, I wanna love her, I wanna tickle her.

  • Like, he always finds some sort of way to touch me or tickle me.

  • For example, you tickle them on their rib cage and they giggle.

  • Pam and Jim fool around, laughing and tickling each other for the home movie camera shot by Ray.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The Reverend tickles his sister as she tries to get the sleeve off his hand.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Dylan rolled on his back, feeling the grass tickle his shoulders.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Oh, that tickles.

Synonyms

to titillate
vsto tickle
1 8.4

Touch lightly so the skin feels tickled or moves a little

is gentler and usually causes pleasant tingling or laughter
to tickle pink
vsto tickle
  • Informal
1 6.3

Feel very happy and amused by something someone does

is a light physical touch that makes someone laugh or tingle
to vellicate
vsto tickle
  • Specialized
9.9

To touch the skin lightly to make it tingle or twitch

is light touching that causes pleasant tingling or laughter
to tickle someone's funny bone
vsto tickle
  • Informal
6.9

To make someone laugh or feel amused

is a physical touch that produces tingling or laughter
to hit my funny bone
vsto tickle
  • Informal
8.3

To make someone laugh a lot

is a physical touch that produces tingling or laughter

Idioms

to tickle pink
  • Informal
1 6.3

Feel very happy and amused by something someone does

To please someone with nice sounds like music or soft words

To make someone laugh or feel amused

Make someone feel very happy and amused

Phrasal Verbs

To make a person's nose feel slightly itchy so they want to sneeze

Touch someone's belly lightly in a playful way to make them laugh

Compounds

2 8.9

Playful touching between people who are flirting

How Tickling

to tickle
94 1.0
to touch
1.0
to brush
133 1.6

Surface Forms

tickle infinitive
tickled past
tickled past participle
tickling present participle
tickles third person singular

Etymology

The verb tickle comes from the same old sound word tick, meaning a quick, light touch; to tickle someone is to touch them that way to cause a tingle or laughter.