as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor
the satisfying comedy put us in a laughing mood for the rest of the evening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in giggling
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound
everyone laughed when the clown dramatically slipped and fell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneering
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
you're going to try out for the football team? Don't make me laugh!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of laughing
Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Keith moved into the center of the balcony, posing and laughing.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
The laughing becomes infectious.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Belt It Out at Sweet Caroline Karaoke Bar If your idea of a great date involves a little chaos, a lot of laughing, and maybe a surprisingly decent duet, Sweet Caroline Karaoke Bar is calling your name.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
The former competitive cheerleader said the laughing was an act of misogyny.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Harbour and Brown arrived together on the red carpet for the premiere of the latest season and were captured on camera laughing, hugging each other and posing for photos.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The laughing and stuff wasn’t written into it.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
Sometimes laughing is better than crying.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
That was when Machado started laughing after reliever Jason Adam walked onto the field in a T-shirt with cut off sleeves and cut off below the chest, a la Tatis.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
The series was over, and McAvoy let out his frustrations on Benson, who just started laughing.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 8 May 2026
Newman’s God is laughing at our prayers, sneering at our cries for help.
—Time, 6 May 2026
Swhileyy sprinted through Scientology’s iconic main campus in Hollywood, California, dodging staff, navigating stairwells, and laughing all the while.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Members of both chambers seemed to enjoy his 20-minute address, listening intently and laughing at the monarch’s jokes and giving him standing ovations.
—Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Perhaps like many fans who witnessed the play, Toothaker began laughing at Koo's expense.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
Mira and two friends moved to a low wall and huddled around their own smartwatches, whispering and laughing.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Keith moved into the center of the balcony, posing and laughing.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
The laughing becomes infectious.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Belt It Out at Sweet Caroline Karaoke Bar If your idea of a great date involves a little chaos, a lot of laughing, and maybe a surprisingly decent duet, Sweet Caroline Karaoke Bar is calling your name.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
The former competitive cheerleader said the laughing was an act of misogyny.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Harbour and Brown arrived together on the red carpet for the premiere of the latest season and were captured on camera laughing, hugging each other and posing for photos.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The laughing and stuff wasn’t written into it.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
The next morning, the pair are chatting and laughing.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
Sometimes laughing is better than crying.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
That was when Machado started laughing after reliever Jason Adam walked onto the field in a T-shirt with cut off sleeves and cut off below the chest, a la Tatis.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
The series was over, and McAvoy let out his frustrations on Benson, who just started laughing.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 8 May 2026
Newman’s God is laughing at our prayers, sneering at our cries for help.
—Time, 6 May 2026
Swhileyy sprinted through Scientology’s iconic main campus in Hollywood, California, dodging staff, navigating stairwells, and laughing all the while.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Members of both chambers seemed to enjoy his 20-minute address, listening intently and laughing at the monarch’s jokes and giving him standing ovations.
—Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Perhaps like many fans who witnessed the play, Toothaker began laughing at Koo's expense.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughing
Adjective
-
The picture’s eclectic cast, which included Anouk Aimée, Greta Scacchi and Maximilian Schell (with cameos by Faye Dunaway, Holly Hunter and Jeff Goldblum), swirled its merry way across the grand event in search of romance, fame and the ever-elusive movie deal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
But in the cycling ecosystem, the Rockets are still minnows, a bunch of merry men with a camera — up against teams funded by international business conglomerates and nation states.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Karen Jesch, a PhD student at Boston College’s Canine Cognition Center, points out that human smiling is a strange behavior to begin with, and not always a happy one.—
Niranjana Rajalakshmi,
Popular Science,
14 May 2026
-
There was a lot of nervous smiling.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Families with mothers in hijabs and giggling children sit alongside the neighborhood’s old guard and young transplants priced out of Brooklyn’s north, all feasting on great wheels of rashoosh (flatbread) and dishevelments of lamb.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
On the chaise side of the sectional, Fiona and Izzy were giggling under a blanket, playing a makeover game on Fiona’s phone.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Newman’s God is laughing at our prayers, sneering at our cries for help.—
Time,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
But there’s also a kind of sneering conventional wisdom toward Vance that doesn’t seem to have much basis in political reality.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The neighborhood Neighboring St Moritz was adopted in the 19th century by all those jolly-hockey-stick Brits, who introduced skiing and tobogganing, but little Sils Maria has always been more cerebral.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Of course, even for me there were still some jolly moments.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Baffert watched it all on his laptop from California, chuckling as the board showing the horse’s price flaked out momentarily.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
Flying cows, fiddle-playing cats, and chuckling retrievers inhabit the space between ornate columns.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For a splash of color, accessorize with Neous’s cherry-red heeled sandals and Etro’s festive beaded bag.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
14 May 2026
-
The atmosphere is festive, the music lively, and the service on point.—
Essence,
Essence,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
On the night that everything changed, one of them would end the night screaming, and the other, in my opinion, didn't scream enough.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Dramatic doorbell camera video shows the moment the man ran out of her home, and Cooper can be heard screaming in the background.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laughing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughing. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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