LAUGH

joke, gag, laugh, jest, jape

(noun) a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter; “he told a very funny joke”; “he knows a million gags”; “thanks for the laugh”; “he laughed unpleasantly at his own jest”; “even a schoolboy’s jape is supposed to have some ascertainable point”

laugh

(noun) a facial expression characteristic of a person laughing; “his face wrinkled in a silent laugh of derision”

laugh, laughter

(noun) the sound of laughing

laugh, express joy, express mirth

(verb) produce laughter

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

laugh (plural laughs)

An expression of mirth particular to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter.

Something that provokes mirth or scorn.

(Britain, NZ) A fun person.

Synonyms

• (expression of mirth): cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snicker, snigger, titter, cachinnation

• (something that provokes mirth or scorn): joke, laughing stock

Verb

laugh (third-person singular simple present laughs, present participle laughing, simple past and past participle laughed)

(intransitive) To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and eyes, and usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in laughter.

(intransitive, figuratively, obsolete) To be or appear cheerful, pleasant, mirthful, lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport.

(intransitive, followed by "at") To make an object of laughter or ridicule; to make fun of; to deride; to mock.

(transitive) To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule.

(transitive) To express by, or utter with, laughter.

Usage notes

The simple past tense forms laught, laugh'd and low and the past participles laught, laugh'd and laughen also exist, but are obsolete.

Synonyms

• (show mirth by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face): cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snicker, snigger, titter

• See also laugh

Antonyms

• (show mirth by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face): cry, weep

Coordinate terms

• (show mirth by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face): cry, frown, scowl, smile

Anagrams

• Aghul

Source: Wiktionary

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Laugh, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Laughed; p. pr. & vb. n. Laughing.] Etym: [OE. laughen, laghen, lauhen, AS. hlehhan, hlihhan, hlyhhan, hliehhan; akin to OS. hlahan, D. & G.lachen, OHG. hlahhan, lahhan, lahh, Icel. hlæja. Dan. lee, Sw. le, Goth. hlahjan; perh. of imitative origin.]

1. To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and eyes, and usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in laughter. Queen Hecuba laughed that her eyes ran o'er. Shak. He laugheth that winneth. Heywood's Prov.

2. Fig.: To be or appear gay, cheerful, pleasant, mirthful, lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport. Then laughs the childish year, with flowerets crowned. Dryden. In Folly's cup still laughs the bubble Joy. Pope. To laugh at, to make an object of laughter or ridicule; to make fun of; to deride. No wit to flatter left of all his store, No fool to laugh at, which he valued more. Pope.

– To laugh in the sleeve, to laugh secretly, or so as not to be observed, especially while apparently preserving a grave or serious demeanor toward the person or persons laughed at.

– To laugh out, to laugh in spite of some restraining influence; to laugh aloud.

– To laugh out of the other corner (or side) of the mouth, to weep or cry; to feel regret, vexation, or disappointment after hilarity or exaltation. [Slang]

Laugh, v. t.

1. To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule. Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very heavy Shak. I shall laugh myself to death. Shak.

2. To express by, or utter with, laughter; -- with out. From his deep chest laughs out a loud applause. Shak. To laugh away. (a) To drive away by laughter; as, to laugh away regret. (b) To waste in hilarity. "Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune." Shak.

– To laugh down. (a) To cause to cease or desist by laughter; as, to laugh down a speaker. (b) To cause to be given up on account of ridicule; as, to laugh down a reform.

– To laugh one out of, to cause one by laughter or ridicule to abandon or give up; as, to laugh one out of a plan or purpose.

– To laugh to scorn, to deride; to treat with mockery, contempt, and scorn; to despise.

Laugh, n.

Definition: An expression of mirth peculiar to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter. See Laugh, v. i. And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind. Goldsmith. That man is a bad man who has not within him the power of a hearty laugh. F. W. Robertson.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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