laughter

noun

ˈlaf-tər How to pronounce laughter (audio)
Definition of laughternext
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement the nervous producers were reassured by the sounds of laughter coming from the theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 laughter Beneath the laughter ran a celebration of disability in comedy, with Way’s command of the room demonstrating exactly why Alden shines in the show. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026 The moment had Nantz doubled over in seeming surprise and laughter. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026 Crystal is the rare talent who always has been able to dispense the warmth of laughter and then immediately unplug the flow of treacle. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 The pair barely crack more than a perfunctory smirk, in stark contrast to the uproarious laughter emanating from Fielder’s laptop screen. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laughter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughter
  1. chuckle
  2. giggle
  3. laugh
  4. snicker
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
  • Memoirs proceeds from there with that simultaneous posture of high-minded openness and a childish giggle.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The letter is met with snaps and giggles, as a 5-year-old Cary warns of imminent death.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of giggle
Noun
  • Got lots of laughs, and one boy actually preferred the packets.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
  • That’s also a movie where laughs come in inappropriate places, but Labute got the benefit of the doubt as an unknown with no corporate support.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • But there’s another 45 supremely indulgent auteur gunk that is snicker-worthy.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • As executed, the 2019 show is an emotional yet refreshingly unsentimental black comedy that snickers in the face of empowerment buzzwords like, well, healing journey.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of snicker

Browse Nearby Words

laughs off
laughter
laughters
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on laughter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about laughter

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