laughing 1 of 3

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

laughing

2 of 3

noun

laughing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of laugh

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 laughing
Noun
The thought of coworkers open-mouthed laughing is enough to jar anyone awake. Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 24 July 2026 A lot of shouting, a lot of laughing, a lot of talk. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Keith moved into the center of the balcony, posing and laughing. Danielle Parker, CBS News, 19 June 2026 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 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
Verb
In her post, Kaling could be seen posing on the streets of New York City with the show’s crew, documenting the cast’s visit to Good Morning America and laughing on set. Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 The Braves spent their afternoon with Little League baseball players, sliding down hills and laughing alongside children who will remember Sunday for the rest of their lives. Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The two men ran, laughing, to the blue Mazda that was waiting for them, and Stana, who was driving, sped away. Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 After the game, the family reconvened on the field for pictures, laughing over the strange coincidence, or not, of it all. Devon Henderson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 After my beloved aunt had died years before, the idea of letting humor in, even laughing at a funny joke on TV, seemed an offense to my grief. Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026 Faris recalls, laughing, at the film’s world premiere at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 At venues and events across the metro, his imposing presence was often accompanied by an outgoing personality that made him as likely to be talking and laughing with patrons as watching over them. Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Just as the geeky navel-gazing threatens to become tedious, a joke or a wink keeps the audience laughing and focused on the fantastical story Schoenbrun actually wants to tell—which isn’t a genuine slasher at all. Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughing
Adjective
  • Rounding up his merry men of Sherwood Forest, and his Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland), Robin goes about resisting John’s rule and securing Richard’s throne.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Fortune’s intrepid tech editor, Alexei Oreskovic, and his merry band of reporters will carry on in my absence.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The boos were more scattered and barely audible amidst the applause and cheers, which grew louder when the ballpark’s video boards showed the 2018 champ smiling, clapping, and waving from the visitors’ dugout.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Everyone is giggling about his vocabulary, but they’re still charmed.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • On a recent afternoon outside the temple in central Kerala, Raman stood motionless as two children played, giggling and hugging its trunk.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
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
Adjective
  • Both his suggestion and the jolly appreciation seem out of tune with the situation ‘far from home’, which may be a military manoeuvre involving mock battles and bayonet practice, or a preparation for actual combat.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This plush captures its jolly mood with a big smile and a grinning sun across its belly (complete with sunglasses).
    Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Cubs pitcher David Peterson was coming out of the bullpen to pitch in the eighth inning after the fight took place, and the umpires were chuckling.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In a New York Times interview, producer Tyran Donaldson, who has also worked with SZA, recalled chuckling at listening to the Diamonds work with the instrument.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
Adjective
  • But a quaint tea party can feel just as festive as a fall feast, especially with the right tea set.
    Maria Sabella, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Halloween Advent calendars have become a festive way to count down to the big night, turning the days leading up to Halloween into a series of small surprises.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That screaming maximum seems like something from a motor world made increasingly distant by turbochargers, hybrid systems and electric motors.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine for a minute a Trojans defense with Luke Wafle, the nation’s top prospect in 2026, screaming off the edge a la the Bosa Bros at Ohio State.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Laughing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughing. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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