as in laughter
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
humorous anecdotes that are likely to evoke lots of smiles but few belly laughs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belly laugh
The howling belly laugh or sucking of air over teeth hit home hardest in a shared environment.
—
Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Kids need to have belly laughs and almost pee their pants when reading—which is something that few other authors besides Seuss can do without invoking potty humor.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
Everyone likes to have those belly laughs and be silly.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2025
The rest of the actors erupt in laughter at Barinholtz’s comment, including Rogen, who exudes one of his signature belly laughs that fans have come to love.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for belly laugh
Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Kids need to have belly laughs and almost pee their pants when reading—which is something that few other authors besides Seuss can do without invoking potty humor.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
Everyone likes to have those belly laughs and be silly.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2025
The rest of the actors erupt in laughter at Barinholtz’s comment, including Rogen, who exudes one of his signature belly laughs that fans have come to love.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for belly laugh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly laugh
Noun
-
The message was met with a mix of confusion, applause and laughter from the stands.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Viewers reacted with skepticism (and some laughter) to a video of Kempczinski purportedly trying the Big Arch for the first time.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Gibson got a good chuckle from the audience one last time.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Shane vacuums, talks with customers, helps with bagging sales at the register, and is, of course, their expert in shopping advice, Aspen said with a chuckle.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mulvaney’s penchant for girlish giggles and squeals between bites of her spaghetti pomodoro stand out in Arno, especially when juxtaposed against the sea of older gentlemen in an assortment of ill-fitting grey blazers sitting behind her at the bar.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
18 Feb. 2026
-
My sisters teased me about my muffled giggles under the covers in the middle of the night.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rather than letting the gags flit by quickly, the cast pauses endlessly after each utterance to milk the laughs.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Trump told the men’s team during the call, eliciting laughs in the background.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The event also had free opportunities to take photos, get ice cream snickers and have earned a Super Bowl post card.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
Updated February 5,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
While there were a few snickers, the photographers obliged and got their photos.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belly laugh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20laugh. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
