jingle

1 of 2

verb

jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl How to pronounce jingle (audio)
jingled; jingling ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce jingle (audio)
Synonyms of jinglenext

intransitive verb

1
: to make a light clinking or tinkling sound
2
: to rhyme or sound in a catchy repetitious manner

transitive verb

: to cause to jingle
jingler
ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)lər How to pronounce jingle (audio)
noun

jingle

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a light clinking or tinkling sound
b
: a catchy repetition of sounds in a poem
2
a
: something that jingles
b
: a short verse or song marked by catchy repetition
jingly
ˈjiŋ-g(ə-)lē How to pronounce jingle (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of jingle

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Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of jingle in a Sentence

Verb Bells jingled in the distance. She jingled the coins in her pocket. Noun I heard the jingle of bells. the jingle of change in my pocket
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Just when things seemed too contentious and/or boring to a late-night viewer, Stewart knew when to jingle the keys in our face. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026 On the walls, a few pots hang from a copper rod, a dinner bell waits to be jingled, and an ancient clock keeps time. — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 2 July 2026
Noun
Plenty of my friends worked there loading clays; nothing like working in a box in the middle of August, with the sun beating down on a barren landscape, just make gas money and some Friday night jingle. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Most commercial content hits viewers with messages, jingles and even cute mascots. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for jingle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ginglen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of jingle was in the 14th century

Rhymes for jingle

See All Rhymes for jingle

Browse Nearby Words

jingbang
jingle
jingle bell
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jingle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jingle. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

jingle

1 of 2 verb
jin·​gle ˈjiŋ-gəl How to pronounce jingle (audio)
jingled; jingling -g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce jingle (audio)
: to make or cause to make a light clinking sound
coins jingled in their pockets
jingler
-g(ə-)lər How to pronounce jingle (audio)
noun

jingle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a light clinking sound
2
: a catchy repetition of sounds in a poem
3
: a verse or song marked by catchy repetition
jingly
-g(ə-)lē How to pronounce jingle (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on jingle

Nglish: Translation of jingle for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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