Tittered

To titter is to give a short, suppressed laugh or giggle, often out of nervousness, embarrassment, or slight amusement. It implies a quiet, almost involuntary expression of mirth, typically less boisterous than a full laugh. It can be a social cue conveying lightheartedness, but also can sometimes be used to show impoliteness and to show sarcasm. It's a fleeting sound, easily concealed or quickly ended. The sound itself is often a 'tit-tit-tit' or a similar sound, barely audible but expressing a certain emotion.

Tittered meaning with examples

• During the awkward silence after the joke bombed, Sarah tittered nervously, hoping to break the tension with a touch of humor, but it only drew more attention to the failed attempt. Her reaction exposed her nervousness.
• As the bride's veil caught on the door handle during the wedding procession, the bridesmaids tittered softly behind her, trying not to distract the others from what they were doing. It was a sweet display of shared amusement.
• The children in the audience tittered as the clown performed a silly trick involving a rubber chicken, their faces lit up by the shared experience. The light giggles expressed their enjoyment.
• When the teacher accidentally wore mismatched shoes, some students tittered discreetly, trying not to offend her with their amusement at the mistake that happened with her feet.
• The politician, caught in a minor lie during a debate, tittered slightly as the interviewer pointed it out, hoping to downplay the severity of his deception and brush it off. The sound came from embarassment.