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
The couple didn’t shy away from PDA and were photographed kissing, hugging and laughing. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 At that point, some of the crew started to laugh because that was the only possible reaction. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
The editor could just add a laugh in postproduction, from polite titters to hearty guffaws. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Aug. 2026 The props team either hated me or loved me, honestly [laughs]. — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 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
  • Everyone is giggling about his vocabulary, but they’re still charmed.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of giggle
Verb
  • The two doctors are able to show their sweet sides, to smile, open up slightly.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Fresh fruit and a row of limes were spread across the table in front of them as the two smiled at each other.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of smile
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
Noun
  • The End of Oak Street is a hoot and a half, but its resolutions yield far more questions than actual answers.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Baez is Paloma Blanca, and to see her in this role is a hoot.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoot
Noun
  • The jokes have continued nearly nonstop — and not all are coming from the man in the can with a 20-point plan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There is nothing, no drama, no insight, not even a joke other than the one NeNe makes about Porsha swimming in the lady pond.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • As All In Build Continues Part of the explanation is that the inflation side of the mandate has been screaming louder.
    — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • If traditional noir drew much of its energy from sneering with style at America’s sunny master narratives, those narratives have largely broken down, as has the homogenous mass-media ecosystem that endlessly recirculated them.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • But the Velvets were sneering at the false dichotomy between those things back in the ’60s.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of sneer
Noun
  • The live show’s audience, filled with women in floral maxidresses and bearded men who probably host their own podcasts, was more than ready for love and laughter.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
  • After failing to suppress her laughter, Brattin sunk to the floor as another host continued the segment on the live broadcast.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of laughter

Phrases Containing laugh

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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 15 Aug. 2026.

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