as in chuckles
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 laughs
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
Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belly laughs
Noun
-
LaKeith Stanfield is an easy standout as Parker’s best friend Grofield, a passionate actor who moonlights as a criminal to fund his dead-end theater company — some of the movie’s heartiest chuckles come from the joy Grofield takes in getting to ham things up as part of the heist.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
-
But places that earn chuckles could be getting gasps and guffaws; moments that feel generally meditative could be devastating, if Lloyd were more interested in character work and less in mise en scène.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
To her credit, Shannon shakes off the incipient paranoia and goes hard into the giggles at anything and everyone at the table.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
-
After Khloé made her mom admit what was going on, Kris broke into giggles.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As Rolling Stone has previously reported, bogus images of classic rockers in hospitals or singing at the graves of other rockers have flooded the internet — fooling some fans in the process and provoking laughs in just as many.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
There will be plenty of laughs, too.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belly laughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belly%20laughs. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share