laugh

1 of 2

verb

ˈlaf How to pronounce laugh (audio)
ˈläf
laughed; laughing; laughs

intransitive verb

1
a
: to show emotion (such as mirth, joy, or scorn) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound
The audience was laughing hysterically.
b
: to find amusement or pleasure in something
laughed at his own clumsiness
c
: to become amused or derisive
a very skeptical public laughed at our early effortsGraenum Berger
2
a
: to produce the sound or appearance of laughter
a laughing brook
b
: to be of a kind that inspires joy
the blue sky of Autumn laughs aboveAmy Lowell

transitive verb

1
: to influence or move by laughter
laughed the bad singer off the stage
2
: to utter with a laugh
laughs her consent
laughingly adverb

laugh

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act of laughing
2
a
: a cause for derision or merriment : joke
b
: an expression of scorn or mockery : jeer
3
laughs plural : diversion, sport
play baseball just for laughs

Examples of laugh in a Sentence

Verb What are you laughing about? The audience was laughing hysterically. I've never laughed so hard in my life. I couldn't stop laughing when I saw what he was wearing. I laughed out loud when I saw him. He laughed so hard I thought he'd die laughing. The movie was hilarious. We laughed our heads off. “I've never seen anything so ridiculous,” he laughed. Noun He gave a loud laugh. a joke that always gets a big laugh The movie has a lot of laughs. You're going to be a movie star? That's a laugh. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
And the tree laughed and laughed and told the boy that of course the apples had pesticides—duh! Kathryn Kvas, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023 Six good-looking guys in their early 20s sat around a table eating burritos, laughing and ribbing one another. Katie Bain, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023 In September, Brand was also accused of exposing himself to a woman and then laughing about it on while broadcasting his BBC Radio 2 show in 2008, as BBC News reported. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 The 67-year-old lawmaker smiled and laughed his way through the crowd at a Veterans Day event in Bigfork, a small town on Flathead Lake where the population has surged in recent years. Matthew Brown, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023 And while there are reasons to discuss every single one of them, the commenters (thankfully) got the point: This post was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, a way to laugh before the holiday whirl begins. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 20 Nov. 2023 The rest of the family can be seen chatting and laughing over drinks and a charcuterie board, next to a campfire. Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023 While many of us who grew up laughing at Chandler Bing’s wisecracks in our living rooms are feeling only the vicarious loss, some of Perry’s friends and coworkers are taking to social media to commemorate Perry’s life. Emma Specter, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2023 From an absentee mom who runs off to Macau on a gambling bender, to reunited estranged siblings whose chaotic dynamic belies a deeper connection, the film allows Asian Americans and those from immigrant communities the rare opportunity to laugh at their traumas. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
Noun
In photos from the event, held at the Sound View Greenport hotel in partnership with Kelsey’s beer, Kelsey and Greer, 31, could be seen proving their skills as bartenders and sharing a laugh. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023 If true love is being able to hear your beloved’s signature laugh from across a crowded, noisy room, then A$AP Rocky is the love guru. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023 Even back then his desire to be the center of attention and get laughs from his friends by any means necessary outweighed the adolescent outrage that can come from the nagging of a well-meaning parent. Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023 Beth Stelling, who has a new special on Netflix, delights in inappropriate laughs — none more so than in her bits about aging and childhood. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023 While comedian Mike Epps is known for bringing big laughs, fans of him have the opportunity to be introduced to another side of the star – and his amazing wife Kyra – through their special Buying Back the Block. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 15 Nov. 2023 Steve Martin gave me a tag for a joke that’s one of the bigger laughs in the show. Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2023 This time, though, things balance out better — while seldom going for big laughs, the film never takes itself too seriously, allowing its story to occupy the realm of cineaste fantasy. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Nov. 2023 As a movie played in his mind of his younger self dangling in midair, all his battles ahead of him, Scott gave a wicked, staccato laugh. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laugh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English hliehhan; akin to Old High German lachēn to laugh

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of laugh was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near laugh

Cite this Entry

“Laugh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laugh. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

laugh

1 of 2 verb
ˈlaf How to pronounce laugh (audio)
ˈlȧf
1
a
: to show emotion (as mirth, joy, or scorn) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound
b
: to become amused
2
: to utter with a laugh
she laughed, "What fun!"
laugher noun

laugh

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or sound of laughing
2
a
: something funny
that game was a real laugh
b
: something deserving scorn
He's an expert? That's a laugh

More from Merriam-Webster on laugh

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