Laugh Definition and Meaning
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Published on December 6, 2025
Laugh refers to the act of making sounds from the throat while breathing out in short bursts, often as an expression of amusement or joy. e.g., Her joke made everyone laugh out loud.
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Laugh Definitions
A response to something humorous or entertaining.
The clown's antics drew a big laugh from the crowd.
To express amusement, joy, or derision through vocal sounds and facial movements.
He laughed heartily at the comedy show.
To make the spontaneous sounds and movements of the face and body that are the instinctive expressions of lively amusement.
We couldn't help but laugh at the unexpected turn of events.
A sound of or as if of laughing.
The room was filled with the laugh of joyful children.
To succeed or prosper in an unexpected way.
Despite the setbacks, they had the last laugh when their project won the award.
ADVERTISEMENT
To express certain emotions, especially mirth or delight, by a series of spontaneous, usually unarticulated sounds often accompanied by corresponding facial and bodily movements.
To show or feel amusement or good humor
An experience we would laugh about later on.
To feel or express derision or contempt; mock
I had to laugh when I saw who my opponent was.
To feel a triumphant or exultant sense of well-being
You won't be laughing when the truth comes out.
To produce sounds resembling laughter
Parrots laughing and chattering in the trees.
To affect or influence by laughter
Laughed the speaker off the stage.
Laughed the proposal down.
To say with a laugh
He laughed his delight at the victory.
The act of laughing.
The sound of laughing; laughter.
(Informal) Something amusing, absurd, or contemptible; a joke
The solution they recommended was a laugh.
Often laughs(Informal) Fun; amusement
Went along just for laughs.
An expression of mirth particular to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter.
His deep laughs boomed through the room.
Something that provokes mirth or scorn.
Your new hat's an absolute laugh, dude.
A fun person.
(intransitive) To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and eyes, and usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in laughter.
There were many laughing children running on the school grounds.
To be or appear cheerful, pleasant, mirthful, lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport.
To make an object of laughter or ridicule; to make fun of; to deride; to mock.
Don't laugh at my new hat, man!
(transitive) To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule.
(transitive) To express by, or utter with, laughter.
To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and eyes, and usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in laughter.
Queen Hecuba laughed that her eyes ran o'er.
He laugheth that winneth.
Fig.: To be or appear gay, cheerful, pleasant, mirthful, lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport.
Then laughs the childish year, with flowerets crowned.
In Folly's cup still laughs the bubble Joy.
No wit to flatter left of all his store,No fool to laugh at, which he valued more.
To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule.
Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very heavy?
I shall laugh myself to death.
To express by, or utter with, laughter; - with out.
From his deep chest laughs out a loud applause.
The sound of laughing
A facial expression characteristic of a person laughing;
His face wrinkled in a silent laugh of derision
A humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter;
He told a very funny joke
He knows a million gags
Thanks for the laugh
He laughed unpleasantly at hisown jest
Even a schoolboy's jape is supposed to have some ascertainable point
Produce laughter
To show or feel amusement or ridicule as expressed by laughter.
She laughed at the idea that she might be scared.
An act or instance of laughing.
His remark caused a loud laugh.
To reject or dismiss as absurd or ridiculous.
He laughed off the suggestion as impractical.
To feel or express derision or contempt; mock.
They laughed at his old car.
To appear or sound cheerful and lively.
The brightly painted room laughed with sunlight.
Laugh Snonyms
Chortle
To laugh gleefully.
He chortled with delight at the news.
Giggle
To laugh lightly in a silly or nervous way.
The ticklish child giggled uncontrollably.
Chuckle
To laugh quietly or inwardly.
She chuckled at the witty dialogue in the play.
Guffaw
To laugh loudly and boisterously.
His joke made everyone guffaw.
Snicker
To laugh in a half-suppressed, typically scornful way.
They snickered at the clumsy waiter.
Howl
To laugh very loudly and uncontrollably.
The audience howled with laughter during the comedian's performance.
Roar
To laugh loudly or powerfully.
He roared with laughter when he heard the punchline.
Cackle
To laugh in a sharp, broken manner.
The witch cackled evilly in the movie.
Titter
To laugh nervously, often at something inappropriate.
She tittered nervously during the awkward conversation.
Smirk
To smile in an irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly way.
He smirked when his rival stumbled over her words.
Laugh Idioms & Phrases
Have the last laugh
To ultimately succeed or be vindicated after previous doubt or failure.
He had the last laugh when his invention proved successful.
Laugh all the way to the bank
To profit handsomely, especially from something that others thought was doubtful.
Despite skepticism, he laughed all the way to the bank with his unconventional business.
Laugh out loud
To laugh audibly and heartily.
The movie made us laugh out loud several times.
Laugh off
To dismiss something by treating it as unimportant or humorous.
She laughed off the criticism.
Laugh up one's sleeve
To be secretly amused at something.
He was laughing up his sleeve at their confusion.
Laugh in someone's face
To show open scorn or contempt.
She laughed in his face when he suggested they were equals.
Laugh Example Sentences
Her infectious laugh filled the room.
He tried not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
She managed a polite laugh, even though she didn't find the joke funny.
A sudden laugh from the audience broke the tension.
The crowd's laugh echoed through the auditorium.
The film's ability to make people laugh is undeniable.
His laugh lines deepened after years of joy and amusement.
They shared a quiet laugh over the old memory.
Her attempt to stifle her laugh only made it louder.
He gave a sarcastic laugh in response to the ridiculous demand.
The joke was meant to make her laugh, but it fell flat.
His booming laugh could be heard across the crowded room.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called laugh?
The word "laugh" comes from the Old English "hlæhhan," originally from the Proto-Germanic "*klakhjan," which is thought to be imitative of the sound of laughing.
How many syllables are in laugh?
Laugh has one syllable.
How do we divide laugh into syllables?
Laugh is divided into syllables as laugh.
What is the verb form of laugh?
The verb form is "laugh."
How is laugh used in a sentence?
Laugh is used as a verb to describe the act of laughing and as a noun to refer to the sound or action of laughing.
What is the root word of laugh?
The root of "laugh" is the Old English "hlæhhan."
What is a stressed syllable in laugh?
The stressed syllable in laugh is "laugh."
What is the second form of laugh?
The second form is "laughed."
What is another term for laugh?
Another term for laugh could be "chortle" or "giggle," depending on the context.
What is the pronunciation of laugh?
Laugh is pronounced as /læf/ or /lɑːf/ depending on the regional accent.
What is the opposite of laugh?
The opposite of laugh in terms of emotional expression could be "cry."
What is the plural form of laugh?
The plural form is "laughs."
Is laugh a noun or adjective?
Laugh is primarily a verb and a noun but not an adjective.
Is laugh an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, laugh refers to a concrete action rather than an abstract concept.
What is the first form of laugh?
The first form is "laugh."
What is the third form of laugh?
The third form is "laughed."
Is laugh a vowel or consonant?
The word laugh starts with a consonant.
Is laugh a negative or positive word?
Laugh generally has a positive connotation, associated with joy and amusement.
Is the laugh term a metaphor?
Laugh itself is not a metaphor but can be used metaphorically to describe expressions of joy or derision.
Is the word laugh imperative?
Laugh can be used in the imperative form as a command or encouragement, e.g., "Laugh a little!"
Which article is used with laugh?
The definite article "the" and the indefinite article "a" can be used with laugh, depending on whether it refers to a specific instance of laughter or laughter in general.
What part of speech is laugh?
Laugh can be a verb and a noun.
Is laugh an adverb?
No, laugh is not an adverb.
Is laugh a countable noun?
Yes, laugh is a countable noun when referring to instances of laughter.
Is the word laugh a Gerund?
"Laughing" is the gerund form of the verb "laugh."
What is the singular form of laugh?
The singular form is "laugh."
Is laugh a collective noun?
No, laugh is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the word “laugh” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
As a noun, "laugh" can be a direct object, as in "I heard a loud laugh."
Which determiner is used with laugh?
Determiners like "a," "the," or "every" can be used with laugh, e.g., "a hearty laugh."
Which vowel is used before laugh?
A specific vowel is not typically used before "laugh" unless forming a phrase.
Which preposition is used with laugh?
Prepositions such as "at," "over," and "about" can be used with laugh, e.g., "laugh at a joke."
Which conjunction is used with laugh?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," and "or" can be used with laugh in compound sentences.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Term
Defaulter Definition and Meaning
Next Term
Retain Definition and MeaningAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
