he who laughs last, laughs best

idiom

—used to say that even if someone is not successful now he or she will succeed or be the winner in the end

Dictionary Entries Near he who laughs last, laughs best

he who hesitates is lost

he who laughs last, laughs best

he who pays the piper calls the tune

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“He who laughs last, laughs best.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/he%20who%20laughs%20last%2C%20laughs%20best. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of disparate

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games