different between giggle vs grizzle

English

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps a frequentative based on dialectal English gig (“to creak”), from Middle English gigen (“to make a creaking sound”) +? -le. Compare Middle English gigge, gige (“a squeaking sound; a creak”), Dutch giechelen, German kichern.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /????l/
• Rhymes: -???l

Verb

giggle (third-person singular simple present giggles, present participle giggling, simple past and past participle giggled)

1. To laugh gently or in a high-pitched voice; to laugh in a silly or giddy way.

   The jokes had them giggling like little girls all evening.

Synonyms

• (laugh in a silly way): titter
• See also Thesaurus:laugh

Derived terms

• giggly

Translations

Noun

giggle (plural giggles)

1. A high-pitched, silly laugh.
2. (informal) Fun; an amusing episode.

   We put itching powder down his shirt for giggles.

   The women thought it would be quite a giggle to have a strippergram at the bride's hen party.

Synonyms

• (laugh): titter
• (amusement): amusement, fun, a joke, a laugh or laughs

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /????z?l/
• Rhymes: -?z?l

Etymology 1

From Middle English grisel, gryselle, from Old French grisel, from gris (“grey”), from Frankish *gr?s, from Proto-Germanic *gr?saz.

Noun

grizzle (plural grizzles)

1. A dark grey colour.

2. Grey hair.
3. A grey wig.

Translations

Related terms

• grizzly

Adjective

grizzle

1. Of a grey colour.

Verb

grizzle (third-person singular simple present grizzles, present participle grizzling, simple past and past participle grizzled)

1. To make or become grey, as with age.
   • R. F. Burton

     hardship of the way such as would grizzle little children

   • Pall Mall Magazine

     I found myself on the Nubian desert shaking hands with a grizzling man whom men addressed as Collins Bey.

Translations

Etymology 2

From English West Country dialect.

Verb

grizzle (third-person singular simple present grizzles, present participle grizzling, simple past and past participle grizzled)

1. to cry continuously but not very loudly - especially of a young child.
2. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To whinge or whine.
   • 1888, William S. Gilbert (librettist), The Yeomen of the Guard, The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan, page 510,

     [Wilfred:] In tears, eh? What a plague art thou grizzling for now?

   • 2009, Judy Waite, Game Girls, unnumbered page,

     The pin-thin girl is grizzling, whining that she has sand in her eyes.

3. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To fuss or cry

Translations

Related terms

• grizzler

See also

• Appendix:Colors

References