You might be asking, “What is the definition of gigil?”

Gigil (say “GHEE-gill”) is a Tagalog word which is untranslatable, but is generally used to describe the strong feeling you have when you think something is so cute or extremely adorable that you just want to eat it up. The word was recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary:

  • Gigil as a noun (1990–present)
    An intense feeling caused by anger, eagerness, or the pleasure of seeing someone or something cute or adorable, typically physically manifested by the tight clenching of hands, gritting of the teeth, trembling of the body, or the pinching or squeezing of the person or thing causing this emotion
  • Gigil as an adjective (1998-present)
    Of a person: overwhelmed by an intense feeling caused by anger, eagerness, or the pleasure of seeing someone or something cute or adorable

The French expression « à croquer » means to bite and gives the sense of eating something up (for example, « Tu es mignon/belle à croquer » means you look good enough to eat), so it appears « à croquer » would be the French equivalent of gigil.

Gigil is a cute word in itself and, like French words we use in everyday English (bouquet, café, cuisine, hotel, rendezvous, and restaurant, to name a few), I imagine we’ll hear and read the Tagalog loanword more and more in our daily English communications. Now that would make me so gigil!

“Mia Macaron” by Jellycat (this is not an ad)

This “Mia Macaron” toy is so adorable, you might become gigil and want to squeeze her and say, « Tu es mignonne à croquer ! » (Aww, you’re so cute, I could eat you!)

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