guffaw

noun

guf·​faw (ˌ)gə-ˈfȯ 

ˈgə-ˌfȯ

: a loud or boisterous burst of laughter

Her remark sparked guffaws around the room.

guffaw

(ˌ)gə-ˈfȯ 

intransitive verb

Synonyms of guffaw

• chuckle
• laughter
• giggle
• laugh
• snicker

Examples of guffaw in a Sentence

managed to keep a straight face for a minute before he let loose with a loud guffaw

Recent Examples on the Web

His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Critic Eddy Frankel thinks so, albeit all in good-humored fun, for a piece in the Guardian that has quite a few laugh-out-loud—or at least guffaw-out-loud—moments. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Also — please pause for my guffaws — Alabama is the bandwagon choice for the SEC. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

The editor could just add a laugh in postproduction, from polite titters to hearty guffaws. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for guffaw

• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada
• esau

Kids Definition

guffaw

noun

guf·​faw (ˌ)gə-ˈfȯ 

: a loud burst of laughter

guffaw verb