chortle

UK: /ˈtʃɔː^rt^əl/ US: /ˈtʃɔrtəl/ ,(chôr′tl)

Inflections of 'chortle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

chortles

v 3rd person singular

chortling

v pres p

chortled

v past

chortled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

chor•tle /ˈtʃɔrtəl/   v., -tled, -tling, n. 
v. 

1. to chuckle gleefully: [no object]
   She chortled quietly to herself.
   [~ + object]
   to chortle one's joy.

n. [countable]

2. a gleeful chuckle.

chor•tler, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

chor•tle  (chôr′tl), v., -tled, -tling, n. 
v.i. 

1. to chuckle gleefully.

v.t. 

2. to express with a gleeful chuckle:
   to chortle one's joy.

n. 

3. a gleeful chuckle.

• coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass (1871) blend of, blended chuckle and snort

chor′tler, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

chortle / ˈtʃɔːt^əl/ verb

1. (intransitive) to chuckle gleefully

noun

1. a gleeful chuckle

Etymology: 19th Century: coined (1871) by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-glass; probably a blend of chuckle + snort

ˈchortler noun