Literary notes about Chuckled (AI summary)
The term "chuckled" is frequently employed by authors as a versatile tool to convey a spectrum of subtle emotional nuances. It often indicates a restrained form of amusement—be it private, self-reflective, or even tinged with irony. For instance, it may suggest nervous self-assurance when paired with gestures like rubbing hands together [1, 2] or hint at quiet satisfaction in the midst of complex social interactions [3, 4]. At other times, it serves to enrich dialogue by conveying gentle, sometimes sardonic humor that punctuates a character’s remark or silently communicates an inner state beyond words [5, 6]. Overall, "chuckled" functions as a linguistic bridge, elegantly revealing layers of character sentiment through understated laughter, whether the moment calls for discreet delight [7, 8] or a mischievous, knowing response [9, 10].
- He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long, nervous hands together.
— from Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - I could see that Holmes was extremely pleased, for he chuckled and rubbed his hands together.
— from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Ivan Matveitch positively chuckled with satisfaction.
— from Short Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - White Mason chuckled and rubbed his fat hands together in his professional satisfaction.
— from The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle - “And then the smash-up?” Harmon chuckled sardonically.
— from Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - “Tha’ mun talk a bit o’ Yorkshire like that to Mester Colin,” Dickon chuckled.
— from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - She chuckled like a contented parrot above the sugar lump.
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling - “Oh, I've got that, too,” chuckled Pollyanna.
— from Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter - He chuckled and swore to himself behind the sheet.
— from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray - I have a copy of it here:” Holmes rubbed his hands and chuckled with delight.
— from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
