titter

/ˈtɪdər/

Other forms: tittered; tittering; titters

A titter is an awkward laugh at something that you shouldn’t be laughing at, like during dinner when Uncle Marvin makes a joke about your mother’s new hairstyle. If you try to hide your laugh, it’s probably a titter.

A laugh that you can’t keep in but also can’t let out, that’s a titter. It usually happens in situations where you shouldn’t be laughing, like listening to your English teacher talk about a date he went on the night before, or when someone tells you a joke in a library. A titter is kinder than a snicker, less noticeable than a giggle, quieter than a chuckle, and way less fun than a chortle. Life’s a joke, laugh it up!

Definitions of titter

1. verb

   laugh nervously
   synonyms: giggle

   type of:

   express joy, express mirth, laugh

   produce laughter
2. noun

   a nervous restrained laugh
   type of:

   laugh, laughter

   the sound of laughing