laugh
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
laugh up one's sleeve. sleeve (def. 9).
Origin of laugh
1synonym study For laugh
Other words for laugh
Other words from laugh
- outlaugh, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for laugh
/ (lɑːf) /
(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
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
Origin of laugh
1- See also laugh away, laugh down, laugh off
Derived forms of laugh
- laugher, noun
- laughing, noun, adjective
- laughingly, adverb
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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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