What does sniggled mean?
Sniggled is the past tense and past participle of sniggle, meaning to laugh quietly or with suppressed amusement. It suggests a laugh that is deliberately quieter or less conspicuous than an ordinary laugh, and the word often carries a note of secrecy, mischief, or self-satisfaction: someone may sniggle at a joke, cover their mouth, or sniggle as another person makes an awkward remark. The word is informal and expressive rather than formal, and it is usually used for reactions involving amusement; it can also imply ridicule when the laughter is aimed at someone else. Though sniggled can stand alone in a sentence, it commonly appears in narrative or descriptive writing where the manner of laughing is important. Its distinctive sound and slightly furtive implication make it useful when an author wants to show not merely that a character laughed, but how they tried to contain or disguise that laughter.
verbLaughed quietly or with suppressed amusement. It can also suggest that the laughter is furtive, mischievous, or intended to avoid attracting attention.
- Laughed quietly or with suppressed amusement.
"She sniggled behind her hand as her friend told the story."
"The children sniggled whenever the puppet fell over."
"He sniggled at the thought that he had outsmarted his colleague."
A sniggled laugh is a laugh trying not to be heard.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sniggled come from?
Sniggled is the past tense and past participle of sniggle, an English verb meaning to laugh in a quiet or suppressed manner. The verb has been used since the early modern period and is generally regarded as imitative in origin, reflecting the sound of laughter being contained. Its close relatives snicker and snigger belong to the same semantic family of words for quiet or suppressed laughter, although their exact relationship at the root level is less certain.
Related word forms
How sniggled is actually used
Informal and expressive, this verb often conveys amusement combined with secrecy, mischief, or self-satisfaction. It can also imply ridicule when directed at someone.
Easily confused with sniggled
Snickered often suggests a short, high-pitched laugh, whereas sniggled more clearly suggests quiet, suppressed, or furtive amusement.