Meaning & use
laughs nervously
Last updated
UK/ˌlɑːfs ˈnɜːvəsli/
US/ˌlæfs ˈnɜːrvəsli/
Meaning
phraseintransitive
Laughs in a tense or uncertain way, often because of embarrassment or anxiety.
Grammar: Takes no object; the adverb nervously tells you how the laughing happens.
Patterns
- someone laughs nervously
- laugh nervously at something
She laughs nervously whenever she has to speak in public.
He laughed nervously and changed the subject.
They laughed nervously at the joke, not sure if it was meant seriously.
Common combinations
- laugh nervously at something
- She laughed nervously at the question and looked away.
- smile nervously
- He smiled nervously as he waited for the results.
- laugh nervously and change the subject
- He laughed nervously and changed the subject.
Synonyms and how they differ
- giggle nervously
- Suggests a lighter, higher-pitched laugh, often from shyness.
- chuckle nervously
- A quieter, more controlled laugh, often to yourself.
Opposites
laughs confidently
Word family
Commonly confused: laughs nervously or laughs nervously?
laughs nervously vs laughs nervously
Not a fixed idiom; it simply combines the verb 'laugh' with the adverb 'nervously'.
Practice
What does 'laughs nervously' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Nervously' shows anxiety or embarrassment, so the laugh is tense or uncertain, not confident or purely amused.
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