transitive verb tickled -·led, tickling -·ling

1. to please, gratify, delight, etc.: often used in the passive voice with slang intensifiers, as tickled pink, tickled silly, or tickled to death
2. to stir to amusement or laughter; amuse
3. to excite the surface nerves of, as by touching or stroking lightly with the finger, a feather, etc., in a way that causes involuntary twitching, a pleasant tingling, laughter, etc.

Etymology: ME tikelen, akin to Ger dial. zickeln, OE tinclian, to tickle: for IE base see tick

intransitive verb

1. to have an itching, scratching, or tingling sensation a throat that tickles
2. to cause a tickling sensation that feather tickles
3. to be readily affected by excitation of the surface nerves; be ticklish

noun

1. a tickling or being tickled
2. a tickling sensation