laugh 1 of 2

verb

ˈlaf How to pronounce laugh (audio)
Definition of laughnext
1
as in to giggle
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound everyone laughed when the clown dramatically slipped and fell

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to smile
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions you're going to try out for the football team? Don't make me laugh!

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laugh

2 of 2

noun

1
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement the child's frown turned into a laugh when he saw the clown

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoot
someone or something that is very funny that new sitcom is a laugh

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter the film comedy had a good laugh in just about every scene

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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 laugh
Verb
People looking on, some still munching on mini quiche and green-chile breakfast potatoes, laughed. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 His intent was to get into a bar and have a good time, not make people laugh. — Timothy Bella, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
There are unlimited laugh-out-loud highlights from the show over the decades. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026 His friends and relatives described him as a caring, generous man with a booming laugh that could rattle windows. — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laugh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laugh
  1. giggle
  2. smile
  3. chuckle
  4. hoot
  5. joke
  6. scream
  7. sneer
  8. laughter
Verb
  • In one photo, Ray’s sister Ruby held up the giggling infant, making kissy faces at the baby wrapped up in a blanket.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Last episode, Jelly and Devin were out there giggling on the beach like Will and Grace with sand stuck in their coochies.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of giggle
Verb
  • The atmosphere is cozy and friendly, with pictures of smiling customers and staff taped to door frames and to the wall.
    — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
  • As the man falls to the ground dead, Jurek smiles in sadistic contentment.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of smile
Noun
  • Walzer thought the matter through aloud with me, at one point letting out a small chuckle at his intellectual perplexity.
    — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • David’s Davidness—always eating a bowl of cereal before bed, hoarding Wagon Wheels, calling his artificial sweeteners ‘depth charges,’ laughing with a half-private chuckle at his own bad jokes—comes off the page in sparks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of chuckle
Noun
  • Closer to home there’s The Invite’s Olivia Wilde, who is a hoot as a tightly wound yuppie, and who could make history as the first woman to direct herself to an acting nomination.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Whyte is a hoot, and her thick-as-thieves chemistry with Horgan a delight.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hoot
Noun
  • The chain, which has over 200 locations in the United States, was recently caught in a culture war against its will, sparked by a joke from former President Barack Obama on its aesthetic.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Later on during Weekend Update, Michael Che made a joke about Israel that made Jost jokingly grimace.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • Upon arriving at Bottiglierivega's door, a police sergeant heard screaming and spotted blood nearby.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Officers arrived at the scene and found people screaming as a man was lying in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Five times in the last two months, the president has sneered at and insulted female reporters.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The reader is not asked to sneer at Ruby for wanting Ellen’s attention.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneer
Noun
  • Nick then did a slow, dramatic reading of each line of the text, with the collective laughter rising with each line.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Much of Modi’s comedy centers on differences between various kinds of Jews, a friction that elicits knowing laughters from his (largely, but not wholly) Jewish audience.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of laughter

Phrases Containing laugh

Browse Nearby Words

lauds
laugh
laughable
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Cite this Entry

“Laugh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laugh. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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