noun
cackle
KA-kuhl
noun
1
A harsh, broken sound like a hen's cry, or a laugh that sounds similar.
"Her cackle carried across the whole restaurant."
verb
1
To laugh in a loud, harsh way, or to make the sharp cry of a hen or goose.
"The witches in the play cackled menacingly over their cauldron."
"Hens cackled noisily after laying their eggs."
How to Use Cackle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA harsh, cracked laugh or cry, like the noise a hen makes.
Common pairings
cackle with laughter
a witch's cackle
Word Forms
cackled past tense, cackles plural, cackles singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “cackle”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her _____ carried across the whole restaurant.
Etymology
From Middle English caclen/cakelen, likely echoing the sound itself, related to Dutch kakelen and German Low German kakeln, all meaning "to cackle."