ˈtɪk.əld pɪŋk
Colors
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- tickled until one's skin turns pink
What does "tickled pink" mean?
extremely pleased or delighted
Examples
- Grandma was tickled pink when she received the surprise birthday party.
- I was tickled pink to learn I'd been accepted into the program.
- The children were tickled pink by the magician's performance.
Origin
First recorded in the early 20th century. Refers to the pinkish flush skin gets when someone laughs from being tickled or is flushed with pleasure.
How to use it
Used to express great delight, often in a warm or endearing way. Slightly old-fashioned but still widely understood.
Similar expressions
over the moon
thrilled
on cloud nine
Opposites
devastated
heartbroken
gutted
Related idioms
- black and white
clearly defined with no ambiguity
- silver lining
a positive aspect of an otherwise bad situation
- grey area
a situation or topic that is unclear or not well-defined
- give the green light
to give permission or approval to proceed
- black sheep
a member of a group who is considered different or disreputable
- golden opportunity
an excellent or ideal chance that may not come again
Use it in a practice answer
Try "tickled pink" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.