cackle
To laugh loud and sharp, like a hen going off.
Also called cacklin'.
Updated September 21, 2026
cackle pronunciation
/KACK-ul/
Meaning
When somebody cackles, the laugh comes out broken and noisy, closer to a hen announcing an egg than a polite chuckle. On a Southern porch it means the joke landed and the whole kitchen can hear it. Same word still covers the barnyard noise itself, and sometimes a bunch of folks chattering so hard it sounds like the henhouse at dawn.
How folks use it
- “Y'all quit cacklin' and finish shelling them peas.”
- “She started to cackle before he even got to the punchline.”
Origin and etymology
From Middle English for the cluck of a hen, a sound-alike word that stuck. Farm talk carried it into Southern and Appalachian speech for both chickens and people. Once you've heard a hen brag about a egg, you know why folks use it for a loud laugh.
Frequently asked questions
Is cackle only about laughing?
No. It still means a hen's noise too. In country talk it can also mean a bunch of noisy chatter, depending on who's talking.