laugh

1 of 2

verb

ˈlaf

ˈläf

laughed; laughing; laughs

Synonyms of laugh next

intransitive verb

: to show emotion (such as mirth, joy, or scorn) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound

The audience was laughing hysterically.

: to find amusement or pleasure in something

laughed at his own clumsiness

: to become amused or derisive

a very skeptical public laughed at our early efforts—

Graenum Berger

: to produce the sound or appearance of laughter

a laughing brook

: to be of a kind that inspires joy

the blue sky of Autumn laughs above—

Amy Lowell

transitive verb

: to influence or move by laughter

laughed the bad singer off the stage

: to utter with a laugh

laughs her consent

laughingly

ˈla-fiŋ-lē

ˈlä-

adverb

laugh

2 of 2

noun

: the act of laughing

: a cause for derision or merriment : joke

: an expression of scorn or mockery : jeer

laughs plural : diversion, sport

play baseball just for laughs

Example Sentences

Verb What are you laughing about? The audience was laughing hysterically. I've never laughed so hard in my life. I couldn't stop laughing when I saw what he was wearing. I laughed out loud when I saw him. He laughed so hard I thought he'd die laughing. The movie was hilarious. We laughed our heads off. “I've never seen anything so ridiculous,” he laughed. Noun He gave a loud laugh. a joke that always gets a big laugh The movie has a lot of laughs. You're going to be a movie star? That's a laugh. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Home Town Takeover star Ben Napier had his Instagram followers laughing out loud after posting an adorable throwback pic. —

Rebecca Norris, Country Living, 29 May 2023 Turner laughed, smiled and grooved along with Beyoncé. —

Lisa Respers France, CNN, 25 May 2023 Earlier this year, Healy engaged in behavior some deemed racist, including laughing at and joining in on jokes mocking Ice Spice while appearing as a guest on a podcast. —

Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 25 May 2023 Ron DeSantis laughs like someone who just became a human yesterday pic.twitter.com/PEsypspoGE — el rad hubbard (@anar_christ) May 14, 2023 There was also the time DeSantis short-circuited in Tokyo when he was asked about his falling poll numbers in the 2024 primary. —

Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 17 May 2023 Justin Tatum took his own approach with his son before Jayson Tatum dominated the 76ers in Game 7 Being himself means laughing and smiling and revving up a lively crowd. —

Dan Gelston, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2023 But with stand-up, the joke — a couple of sentences to get the audience laughing out loud — is a very specific type of creativity. —

Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023 Malti can be seen laughing hysterically and excitedly pointing as cars drive in front of them. —

Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 May 2023 Back at Portland’s waterfront, Sydney Waters sat near the Bill Naito fountain, wearing a hat and sunglasses as children laughed in the background. —

Lisa Moreno, oregonlive, 15 May 2023

Noun

The first two seasons have been a never-ending barrage of heartbreaks and laughs, and the wedding the season has been building up to should be an apt ending to this quietly devastating show. —

Vulture, 26 May 2023 Even adults are guaranteed a few laughs at this innovative attraction. —

Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023 The less devoted might find the meta-comedy a tired retread, prompting more eyerolls than laughs. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 May 2023 The trailer already shows you everything that might be remotely funny, including the film’s one big laugh. —

Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023 Male lead Schwartzman earned laughs as an awkward war photographer grieving his late wife and herding three young daughters and a brainiac son. —

Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 May 2023 Her infectious laugh reverberated around the room as some shook their heads in apparent disbelief. —

Talya Minsberg, New York Times, 13 May 2023 How funny is this daft assault on your laugh reflex? —

Peter Marks, Washington Post, 15 May 2023 Hostin said abruptly, and Behar responded with a laugh. —

Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 12 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laugh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.