laugh Hear it!

laugh Definition

laugh (laf, läf)

intransitive verb

  1. to make the explosive sounds of the voice, and the characteristic movements of the features and body, that express mirth, amusement, ridicule, etc.
  2. to be amused
  3. to feel or suggest joyousness; appear bright and merry laughing eyes

Etymology: ME laughen < OE hleahhan, akin to Ger lachen (OHG hlahhan) < IE base *klēg-, to cry out, sound > Gr klangē, L clangor

transitive verb

  1. to express or say with laughter
  2. to bring about, effect, or cause to be by means of laughter to laugh oneself hoarse

noun

  1. the act or sound of laughing
  2. anything that provokes or is fit to provoke laughter
  3. Informal mere diversion or pleasure

laugh Related Forms

laugher noun

laugh Idioms

have the last laugh

to win after apparent defeat and discomfiture

laugh at

  1. to be amused by
  2. to make fun of; ridicule; deride
  3. to be indifferent to or contemptuous of; disregard

laugh away

to get rid of (something unpleasant or embarrassing) by laughter

laugh down

to silence or suppress by laughing

laugh up one's sleeve

to laugh secretly or inwardly

laugh off

to scorn, avoid, or reject by laughter or ridicule

laugh on the other side of one's face

or laugh out of the other side of one's face or laugh on the wrong side of one's face or laugh out of the wrong side of one's face or laugh on the other side of one's mouth or laugh out of the other side of one's mouth or laugh on the wrong side of one's mouth or laugh out of the wrong side of one's mouth

to undergo a change in mood from joy to sorrow, from amusement to annoyance, etc.

no laughing matter

a serious matter

laugh Synonyms

laugh

n.

chuckle, giggle, titter, snicker, snigger, guffaw, chortle, cackle, fit of laughter, peal of laughter, horse laugh, belly laugh, roar, snort, crow, shout of laughter, shriek, howl, sound of merriment, mirth, amusement, convulsion, cachinnation, ha-ha*, haw-haw*, hee-haw*, ho-ho*, tee-hee*, yuk*; see also laughter, smile.

Antonyms sob, cry*, whimper.

laugh is the general word for the sounds or exhalation made in expressing mirth, amusement, etc.; chuckle implies soft laughter in low tones, expressive of mild amusement or inward satisfaction; giggle and titter both refer to a laugh consisting of a series of rapid, high-pitched sounds, suggesting embarrassment, nervousness, or silliness, but giggle often implies an uncontrollabale fit of such laughter and titter implies a half-suppressed laugh, as a laugh of mild amusement suppressed in affected politeness; snicker is used of a sly, half-suppressed laugh, as at another's discomfiture or a bawdy story; guffaw refers to loud, coarse laughter

have the last laugh

defeat (finally), beat in the end, overcome all obstacles; see win 1.

no laughing matter

serious, grave, significant, no joke*; see important 1.

laugh Synonyms

laugh

v.

chuckle, chortle, guffaw, laugh off, smile away, snicker, snigger, titter, giggle, burst out (laughing), be convulsed, shriek, roar, howl, cachinnate, beam, grin, smile, smirk, roar, shout, crow, have a hemorrhage*, die laughing*, break up*, haw-haw*, split one's sides*, bust up*, roll in the aisles*, tee-hee*, snort*, be in stitches*; see also smile.

Antonyms cry*, sob*, weep.

laugh out of court
laugh out the other side of one's mouth

be disappointed, be sorry, have qualms about; see regret.

laugh Usage Examples

Object

  • dove: From the Hotel to Ovira park I noted 2 new species Laughing Dove and Garden Bulbul.
  • alot: We all laughed alot and the map of the school we ended up with was quite strange.
  • cry: Stories to make you laugh, cry and wonder.
  • laughter: John laughed a hysterical laughter, and his teeth began to chant war songs in Russian.

Converse of object

  • stifle: She looked at it and coughed, tho it could have been a stifled laugh.
  • elicit: He told stories about his past as a historian, even eliciting a few laughs from members of the crowd.
  • mock: A mocking laugh rang around the inside of my skull.

Preposition: at

joke: Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.

Adjective modifier

  • infectious: John's infectious laugh made everyone feel that he was nothing more than a mate playing a few tunes for you.
  • good-natured: At first, my host family was quite amused by me, and had some good-natured laughs on my behalf.
  • hollow: I hide away and I hear a hollow laugh.
  • nervous: Two young women left before the end and during the rest of the film there were what I took to be occasional nervous laughs.

Adjective complement

loud: Some examples include: LOL: Which stands for " laugh out loud " .

Noun used with modifier

  • belly: Book your seats and be prepared for belly laughs!
  • Everyone: Everyone laughs and they get up and do it again.

Used with why or when

when: He stole the wine and did not own up and laughed when Jenny and Mikey fight about it.

Particle object:

rumor: The smitten couple, who recently laughed off wedding rumors, were reported to have split last year.

Followed by an intransitive particle

along: I can only assume Ms Root was laughing along.

Preposition: like

  • hyena: A woman in tonight's audience had a laugh like a hyena and she laughed all the time.
  • drain: I laughed like a drain when I saw this.

Browse dictionary entries near laugh

  1. laudatory
  2. laudation
  3. laudanum
  4. laudable
  5. laud
  6. Latvian
  7. Latvia
  8. Latv
  9. Lattimore
  10. latticinio
  1. laugh at
  2. laugh off
  3. laugh track
  4. laughable
  5. laugher
  6. laughing
  7. laughing gas
  8. laughing jackass
  9. laughingstock
  10. laughter