How To Describe Laughter In Writing

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Idioms And Phrases

laugh

verb (used without object)

to express mirth, pleasure, derision, or nervousness with an audible, vocal expulsion of air from the lungs that can range from a loud burst of sound to a series of quiet chuckles and is usually accompanied by characteristic facial and bodily movements.

to experience the emotion so expressed: He laughed inwardly at the scene.

to produce a sound resembling human laughter: A coyote laughed in the dark.

verb (used with object)

to drive, put, bring, etc., by or with laughter (often followed by out, away, down, etc.): They laughed him out of town. We laughed away our troubles.

to utter with laughter: He laughed his consent.

noun

the act or sound of laughing; laughter.

an expression of mirth, derision, etc., by laughing.

Informal. something that provokes laughter, amusement, or ridicule: After all the advance publicity, the prizefight turned out to be a laugh.

laughs, Informal. fun; amusement.

Verb Phrases

laugh at,

to make fun of; deride; ridicule: They were laughing at him, not along with him.
to be scornful of; reject: They stopped laughing at the unusual theory when it was found to be predictive.
to find sympathetic amusement in; regard with humor: We can learn to laugh a little at even our most serious foibles.

laugh off, to dismiss as ridiculous, trivial, or hollow: He had received threats but laughed them off as the work of a crank.

QUIZ

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Idioms about laugh

have the last laugh, to prove ultimately successful after a seeming defeat or loss:She smiled slyly, because she knew she would yet have the last laugh on them.

laugh it up, to laugh or joke in a hearty way: He was laughing it up with his friends.

laugh out of court, to dismiss or depreciate by means of ridicule; totally scorn: His violent protests were laughed out of court by the others.

laugh out of the other side of one's mouth, to undergo a chastening reversal, as of glee or satisfaction that is premature; be ultimately chagrined, punished, etc.; cry: She's proud of her promotion, but she'll laugh out of the other side of her mouth when the work piles up. Also laugh on the wrong side of one's mouth / face.

Origin of laugh

First recorded before 900; Middle English laughen, Old English hlæh(h)an (Anglian); cognate with Dutch, German lachen, Old Norse hlǣja, Gothic hlahjan

synonym study for laugh

6. Laugh, chuckle, grin, smile refer to methods of expressing mirth, appreciation of humor, etc. A laugh may be a sudden, voiceless exhalation, but is usually an audible sound, either soft or loud: a hearty laugh. Chuckle suggests a barely audible series of sounds expressing private amusement or satisfaction: a delighted chuckle. A smile is a (usually pleasant) lighting up of the face and an upward curving of the corners of the lips (which may or may not be open); it may express amusement or mere recognition, friendliness, etc.: a courteous smile. A grin, in which the teeth are usually visible, is like an exaggerated smile, less controlled in expressing the feelings: a friendly grin.

OTHER WORDS FROM laugh

outlaugh, verb (used with object)

Words nearby laugh

Laudianism, lauds, Laue, Laue diagram, Lauenburg, laugh, laughable, laugh all the way to the bank, laugh and the world laughs with you, Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone, laugh at

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use laugh in a sentence

It's impossible not to think about the people who are missing, impossible not to hear their voices and their laughs or to remember the personality quirks that made them unique.
"One of the best medicines at the moment is having a laugh and having some fun, even if it's just for five minutes," McCarthy said.
Implicit in the forum's bargain, and its name, was that these trades were all high-risk, high-reward bets from traders doing it for the laughs.
Going all in on expensive ad inventory and a message played for laughs or other emotions might fall flat in a very turbulent cultural context, especially given that you have to lock your message months if not weeks in advance.

At last, after all the laughs at their expense, after all the coaching changes and front-office shake-ups, after an endless search for a reliable quarterback and sensible plan, they have some hope.
I watch every episode alone on my couch and I just sit there and laugh, and laugh.
Hopefully, she got as much of a laugh out of it as the rest of the world has.
We love to laugh at Kim and Company because it distracts our souls from the horrific reality of their hermetic regime.
Ramone, who turned to religion while trying to kick drugs, would probably approve (and laugh a little, too).
First we laugh, then we begin to wonder why the man was so distracted that he didn't notice he'd taken the doorknob with him.
He burst into a loud laugh, clapped his hands, and danced before the delighted babe.
Miss Christabel blushed furiously and emitted a sound half between a laugh and a scream.
Soon after they parted, with a sarcastic laugh from the Spaniard, and Ma'amselle mingled with the crowd.
"I verily believe they're gone to look at my button," cried Davy, beginning to laugh, in spite of his fears.
This was somewhat tiresome; and, after a rather feeble attempt at a third laugh, Davy said, "I don't feel like it any more."

British Dictionary definitions for laugh

verb

(intr) to express or manifest emotion, esp mirth or amusement, typically by expelling air from the lungs in short bursts to produce an inarticulate voiced noise, with the mouth open

(intr) (esp of certain mammals or birds) to make a noise resembling a laugh

(tr) to utter or express with laughter he laughed his derision at the play

(tr) to bring or force (someone, esp oneself) into a certain condition by laughter he laughed himself sick

(intr foll by at) to make fun (of); jeer (at)

(intr foll by over) to read or discuss something with laughter

don't make me laugh informal I don't believe you for a moment

laugh all the way to the bank informal to be unashamedly pleased at making a lot of money

laugh in a person's face to show open contempt or defiance towards a person

laugh like a drain informal to laugh loudly and coarsely

laugh up one's sleeve to laugh or have grounds for amusement, self-satisfaction, etc, secretly

laugh on the other side of one's face to show sudden disappointment or shame after appearing cheerful or confident

be laughing informal to be in a favourable situation

noun

the act or an instance of laughing

a manner of laughter

informal a person or thing that causes laughter that holiday was a laugh

the last laugh the final success in an argument, situation, etc, after previous defeat

Derived forms of laugh

laugher, noun laughing, noun, adjective laughingly, adverb

Word Origin for laugh

Old English læhan, hliehhen; related to Gothic hlahjan, Dutch lachen

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with laugh

In addition to the idioms beginning with laugh

laugh all the way to the bank
laugh and the world laughs with you
laugh at
laughing matter
laugh off
laugh one's head off
laugh out of court
laugh out of the other side of one's mouth
laugh up one's sleeve

also see:

canned laughter
die laughing
it's to laugh
last laugh
no joke (laughing matter)
shake with laughter