tittering
Stifled silly laughter
Tittering is a particular kind of laughter—light, nervous, and often suppressed or half-stifled.
It suggests amusement tinged with embarrassment or self-consciousness, the kind of giggling that ripples through a classroom when someone says something accidentally suggestive.
The audience tittered at the actor's wardrobe malfunction.
Unlike hearty laughter, tittering carries connotations of immaturity or inappropriate amusement, as if the person knows they probably shouldn't be laughing.
Scornfully imitating or ridiculing
- jeeringVocal public mockery
- snickeringStifled, scornful laughter
- sneeringExpressing scorn facially
- derisiveExpressing contemptuous ridicule
scornful · ridiculing · taunting · mean-spirited · cruel · sarcastic · dismissive · contemptuous
Laughing in short bursts
- schoolgirlFemale student, typically young
- coyAffectedly modest
- flirtatiousPlayfully romantic in manner
- sillyFrivolous or absurd
giddy · playful · high-pitched · bubbly · effervescent · lighthearted · teasing · mirthful
Forcibly held in
- muffledMade quieter, less distinct
- hushedReduced to silence
- quietLacking in sound
- subduedReduced in intensity
covered · restrained · controlled · smothered · whispered · secretive · furtive · discreet
Uneasy and apprehensive
- anxiousTroubled by uncertainty
- uncomfortableCausing unease or distress
- self-consciousUncomfortably aware of oneself
- embarrassedSelf-consciously uncomfortable
awkward · uneasy · shy · flustered · tense · jittery · fidgety · restless
mocking
Scornfully imitating or ridiculing
- jeeringVocal public mockery
- snickeringStifled, scornful laughter
- sneeringExpressing scorn facially
derisive · scornful · ridiculing · taunting · mean-spirited · cruel · sarcastic · dismissive · contemptuous · belittling
giggling
Laughing in short bursts
- schoolgirlFemale student, typically young
- coyAffectedly modest
- flirtatiousPlayfully romantic in manner
silly · giddy · playful · high-pitched · bubbly · effervescent · lighthearted · teasing · mirthful · impish
stifled
Forcibly held in
subdued · covered · restrained · controlled · smothered · whispered · secretive · furtive · discreet
nervous
Uneasy and apprehensive
- anxiousTroubled by uncertainty
- uncomfortableCausing unease or distress
- self-consciousUncomfortably aware of oneself
embarrassed · awkward · uneasy · shy · flustered · tense · jittery · fidgety · restless · hesitant
titteringwailing
Prolonged mournful crying
bawling · bellowing · shouting · exclaiming