gigil
Language: Tagalog · [ˈɡiɡil] · Pronunciation: GEE-gil
More Tagalog words · More words for a feeling
Meaning
the overwhelming urge to squeeze or pinch something unbearably cute
The story
Clenched teeth, itching fingers: gigil is what a fat-cheeked baby or a very small dog does to you. Psychologists only got round to naming it 'cute aggression' in 2015; Tagalog had a word all along. The closest English noise is squee, which covers the sound but not the urge.
The four rounds
- Which language is it from?
- Tagalog
- Which feeling does it carry?
- Almost unbearable fondness
- Where would you hear it?
- A chubby-cheeked baby at a christening
- What does it mean?
- The urge to pinch something adorable
How it went
Harder than most words so far.
2026-09-21 · ‹ Previous word · All words