Meaning & use
laugh
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To make a sound and facial expression that shows you find something funny or are happy.
Grammar: No object; often laugh at or laugh about something.
Patterns
- laugh at something
- laugh about something
- laugh out loud
We laughed until our sides hurt.
She laughs every time she remembers the joke.
The audience laughed at the clown's tricks.
verbintransitivedisapproving
To mock someone or treat them as foolish.
Grammar: Always laugh at someone: don't laugh at me.
Patterns
- laugh at someone
- laugh in someone's face
The other children laughed at his accent.
Don't laugh at her ideas; she has worked hard.
They laughed him out of the room.
nouncountable
The sound or act of laughing.
Grammar: Often with have or give: have a laugh.
Patterns
- a laugh at something
- have a good laugh
She gave a short laugh and shook her head.
We had a good laugh about the mix-up.
His loud laugh could be heard across the street.
nounsingularinformal
Something or someone that is fun or amusing.
Grammar: Informal: a laugh meaning a fun thing.
Patterns
- be a laugh
- for a laugh
The trip was a real laugh.
We joined the choir just for a laugh.
Your brother is a laugh at parties.
Word forms
| third person singular | laughs |
|---|---|
| past tense | laughed |
| past participle | laughed |
| -ing form | laughing |
Common combinations
- laugh out loud
- I laughed out loud at the comic.
- burst out laughing
- The class burst out laughing.
- laugh at
- We laughed at his story.
- have a good laugh
- We had a good laugh at the old photos.
- laugh it off
- He laughed it off and carried on.
- laugh your head off
- She laughed her head off at the film.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chuckle
- Chuckle is a quieter, softer laugh, usually to yourself.
- giggle
- Giggle is a light, silly laugh, often nervous or from children.
- guffaw
- Guffaw is a loud, coarse laugh, more noticeable than laugh.
- snicker
- Snicker is a mocking, half-hidden laugh, unlike the open warmth of laugh.
Opposites
Word family
- laughter noun
- the sound of people laughing
- laughable adjective
- so silly it deserves mockery
- laughingly adverb
- in a laughing way
- laughing stock noun
- a person everyone mocks
Commonly confused: laugh or laughter? laugh or laugh / laugh at?
laugh vs laughter
Laughter is the uncountable noun for the sound of laughing, but a laugh is a single instance.
laugh vs laugh / laugh at
Laugh at someone means to mock them, whereas laugh with someone means to share the joke.
Practice
The other kids ______ him when he fell off the stage, which made him feel terrible.
Choose one answer.
Laughed at means mocked, which explains why he felt terrible. Laughed with would mean sharing the joke, so it would not make him feel bad.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “laugh”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.