guffaw 1 of 2

noun

(ˌ)gə-ˈfȯ How to pronounce guffaw (audio)
Definition of guffawnext
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement managed to keep a straight face for a minute before he let loose with a loud guffaw

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

guffaw

2 of 2

verb

as in to chuckle

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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 guffaw
Noun
So, after the sombrero drew hearty guffaws, my friend Jim busied himself finding monuments to chip-and-dip tastelessness. — Lee Michael Katz, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025 This was the first year in recent memory where none of the nominees in the big four categories set off a hearty round of guffaws across my various chats and social media feeds. — Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
Tykes get slapped around, shot with arrows and dangled in traffic — tortures that are played seriously, but the shock of them allows you to guffaw. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for guffaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guffaw
  1. chuckle
  2. giggle
  3. laughter
  4. laugh
  5. snicker
Noun
  • The risk, though, with horror-comedy—with dinging from chuckles to shrieks and back again—is always an evacuated center.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
  • And while most of the film is unrelentingly grim, its few stabs at dark humor — most notably the punchlines about the grandmother’s faulty memory — didn’t garner a chuckle from me.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of chuckle
Verb
  • All around them, guests smiled and laughed as children screamed with excitement and giggled each time a butterfly fluttered close.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Moments later, Saldaña pulled De Oliveira into a tight hug, and the pair giggled like old friends.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026
Definition of giggle
Noun
  • Billy Ray brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the world as a devoted father, husband, son, and loyal friend.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Despite being confined to her bed, covered in tubes, tangled in wires, despite being separated by gloves and masks and isolation gowns, our laughter permeated all those barriers.
    — Anna Tsioulias, STAT, 29 July 2026
Definition of laughter
Verb
  • All around them, guests smiled and laughed as children screamed with excitement and giggled each time a butterfly fluttered close.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • For a second, Fauci almost seemed to laugh, and there was a glimpse of the public-health official who had charmed much of the country during the pandemic, with his air of amiable competence.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • Classic cookies come in 11 flavors like chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, snicker doodle, white chocolate macadamia nut, fruity pebbles, monster and white chocolate cranberry.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 July 2026
  • As is, this is a foolish thriller that prompts the occasional snicker but not much more.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of snicker

Browse Nearby Words

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guffaw
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Cite this Entry

“Guffaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guffaw. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on guffaw

Nglish: Translation of guffaw for Spanish Speakers

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