verb
tinkle
TIHNG-kuhl
verb
1
To make a light, high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell.
"Wind chimes tinkled softly on the porch."
"Ice cubes tinkled against the glass as she stirred her drink."
noun
1
A light, high-pitched ringing sound.
"She heard the tinkle of a bicycle bell behind her."
How to Use Tinkle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small, delicate ringing noise, or to make one.
When to use it
Informally, "tinkle" is also childish slang for urinating — keep that in mind in formal writing.
Common pairings
tinkle of bells
a faint tinkle
tinkle softly
Word Forms
tinkled past tense, tinkles plural, Tinkles plural, tinkles singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “tinkle”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Wind chimes _____ softly on the porch.
Etymology
From Middle English tinclen, built from "tink" plus a suffix showing repeated action — related to similar words in Dutch and German for glittering or flickering sounds.