tinkle
3 synonyms for tinkle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To make a light, high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
To make a light, high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell.
“Wind chimes tinkled softly on the porch.”
2. noun
A light, high-pitched ringing sound.
“She heard the tinkle of a bicycle bell behind her.”
How to use tinkle
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Informally, "tinkle" is also childish slang for urinating — keep that in mind in formal writing.
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.
Full origin of tinkle →