laugh
(lăf, läf)v. laughed, laugh·ing, laughs
v.intr.1. To express certain emotions, especially mirth or delight, by a series of spontaneous, usually unarticulated sounds often accompanied by corresponding facial and bodily movements.
2. To show or feel amusement or good humor: an experience we would laugh about later on.
3. a. To feel or express derision or contempt; mock: I had to laugh when I saw who my opponent was.
b. To feel a triumphant or exultant sense of well-being: You won't be laughing when the truth comes out.
4. To produce sounds resembling laughter: parrots laughing and chattering in the trees.
v.tr.1. To affect or influence by laughter: laughed the speaker off the stage; laughed the proposal down.
2. To say with a laugh: He laughed his delight at the victory.
n.1. a. The act of laughing.
b. The sound of laughing; laughter.
2. Informal Something amusing, absurd, or contemptible; a joke: The solution they recommended was a laugh.
3. often laughs Informal Fun; amusement: went along just for laughs.
Phrasal Verbs: laugh at To treat lightly; scoff at: a daredevil who laughed at danger.
laugh off (or away) To dismiss as ridiculously or laughably trivial: laughed off any suggestion that her career was over.
Idioms: laugh all the way to the bank To take glee in making money, especially from activity that others consider to be unimpressive or unlikely to turn a profit.
laugh out of the other side of (one's) mouth To see one's good fortune turn to bad; suffer a humbling reversal.
laugh up/in (one's) sleeve To rejoice or exult in secret, as at another's error or defeat.
[Middle English laughen, from Old English hlæhhan, probably ultimately of imitative origin.]
laugh′er n.
laugh′ing·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
laugh
(lɑːf) vb1. (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
2. (intr) (esp of certain mammals or birds) to make a noise resembling a laugh
3. (tr) to utter or express with laughter: he laughed his derision at the play.
4. (tr) to bring or force (someone, esp oneself) into a certain condition by laughter: he laughed himself sick.
5. (foll by: at) to make fun (of); jeer (at)
6. (foll by: over) to read or discuss something with laughter
7. don't make me laugh informal I don't believe you for a moment
8. laugh all the way to the bank informal to be unashamedly pleased at making a lot of money
9. laugh in a person's face to show open contempt or defiance towards a person
10. laugh like a drain informal to laugh loudly and coarsely
11. laugh up one's sleeve to laugh or have grounds for amusement, self-satisfaction, etc, secretly
12. laugh on the other side of one's face to show sudden disappointment or shame after appearing cheerful or confident
13. be laughing informal to be in a favourable situation
n14. the act or an instance of laughing
15. a manner of laughter
16. informal a person or thing that causes laughter: that holiday was a laugh.
17. the last laugh the final success in an argument, situation, etc, after previous defeat
[Old English læhan, hliehhen; related to Gothic hlahjan, Dutch lachen]
ˈlaugher n
ˈlaughing n, adj
ˈlaughingly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
laugh
(læf, lɑf)
v.i. 1. 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 usu. accompanied by characteristic facial and bodily movements.
2. to feel the emotion so expressed: She laughed inwardly at the scene.
3. to produce a sound resembling laughter: A coyote laughed in the dark.
v.t. 4. to drive, put, bring, etc., by or with laughter (often fol. by out, away, down, etc.): They laughed him out of town.
5. to utter with laughter: He laughed his consent.
6. laugh at, a. to ridicule; deride.
b. to find amusing.
7. laugh off, to dismiss as trivial.
n. 8. the act or sound of laughing; laughter.
9. an expression of mirth, derision, etc., by laughing.
10. a person or thing that provokes laughter, amusement, or ridicule: That physics exam was a laugh.
11. laughs, Informal. fun; amusement.
Idioms: 1. have the last laugh, to prove successful despite the doubts of others.
2. laugh out of the other side of one's mouth or face, to become regretful or chastened after initial joy or boastfulness.
3. laugh up or in one's sleeve, to be secretly derisive or amused.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English (Anglian) hlæh(h)an]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.