Contents
English
Etymology
From Old English hlæhhan, hlihhan, hliehhan, cognate with Old Norse hlæja (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish le), Old High German hlahhan (German lachen), Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hlahjan).
Pronunciation
- (Australia) IPA: /lɑːf/, SAMPA: /lA:f/
- (UK) IPA: /lɑːf/, SAMPA: /lA:f/
- (US) enPR: lăf, IPA: /læf/, SAMPA: /l{f/
- Audio (US)help, file
- Rhymes: -ɑːf
Noun
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Singular laugh |
Plural laughs |
laugh (plural laughs)
| Examples |
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- An expression of mirth particular to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter.
- 1803 The Poetical Works of Oliver Goldsmith, M.B.: With an Account of His Life Page 45: And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind. — Oliver Goldsmith
- 1869 Lectures and Addresses on Literary and Social Topics Page 87: That man is a bad man who has not within him the power of a hearty laugh. — F. W. Robertson
- Something that provokes mirth or scorn.
- 1921, Ring W. Lardner, The Big Town: How I and the Mrs. Go to New York to See Life and Get Katie a Husband, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, page 73:
- “And this rug,” he says, stomping on an old rag carpet. “How much do you suppose that cost?”
- It was my first guess, so I said fifty dollars.
- “That’s a laugh,” he said. “I paid two thousand for that rug.”
- 1921, Ring W. Lardner, The Big Town: How I and the Mrs. Go to New York to See Life and Get Katie a Husband, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, page 73:
Synonyms
- (expression of mirth): cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snicker, snigger, titter, cachinnation
- (something that provokes mirth or scorn): joke, laughing stock
Derived terms
- a laugh a minute
- for a laugh
- have a laugh
- have the last laugh
Verb
|
Infinitive to laugh |
Third person singular laughs |
Simple past laughed |
Past participle laughed |
Present participle laughing |
to 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.
- (A date for this quote is being sought): Queen Hecuba laughed that her eyes ran o’er. — Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, I-ii
- (A date for this quote is being sought): He laugheth that winneth. — Heywood’s Prov.
- (intransitive, figuratively) To be or appear cheerful, pleasant, mirthful, lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport.
- (A date for this quote is being sought): Then laughs the childish year, with flowerets crowned. — John Dryden
- (A date for this quote is being sought): In Folly’s cup still laughs the bubble Joy. — Alexander Pope
- (intransitive) To laugh at, to make an object of laughter or ridicule; to make fun of; to deride.
- (A date for this quote is being sought): No wit to flatter left of all his store, No fool to laugh at, which he valued more. — Alexander Pope
- (transitive) To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule.
- (A date for this quote is being sought): Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very heavy? — Shakespeare, Tempest, II-i
- (A date for this quote is being sought): I shall laugh myself to death. — Shakespeare, Tempest, II-ii
- (transitive) To express by, or utter with, laughter; — with out.
- (A date for this quote is being sought): From his deep chest laughs out a loud applause. — Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, I-iii
Synonyms
- (show mirth by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face): cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snicker, snigger, titter
- See also Wikisaurus:laugh
Antonyms
Derived terms
- he who laughs last laughs best
- he who laughs last laughs longest
- laugh away
- laugh down
- laughing
- laugh in someone's face
- laugh in the sleeve
- laugh off
- laugh one out of
- laugh on the other side of one's face
- laugh out, laugh out loud
- laugh out of the other corner of the mouth, laugh out of the other side of the mouth
- laugh to scorn
- laugh track
- laugh up one’s sleeve
Related terms
Translations
show mirth by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face and emission of sounds
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Note: the following were in a translation table for "be or appear gay", which, given the modern meanings, is misleading; the title of this table has now been changed to "be or appear cheerful". The translations therefore need to be checked.
- Slovene: nasmejan (biti)
Anagrams
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What is it that makes humans laugh and cry?
Q. Yes, the feelings are triggered whenever we feel sad or happy, but whenever something is funny to us, we start to laugh. How? What makes salt drop from our eyes, whenever we are feeling sad. Yes it is our sadness but how does it work, how does our bodies know when to cry when to laugh? Our laughter and our tears are beyond our control sometimes? How is it that something is so funny that we can't seem to stop laughing / crying?
Asked by Beg For It - Sun Mar 29 02:13:17 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. This is tough. I'm not sure but I think when things happen, (like salt drops) the nerve sends signals to the left brain which controls our emotions thus we do thing like cry etc..
Answered by tay f - Sun Mar 29 03:15:59 2009
Q. Yes, the feelings are triggered whenever we feel sad or happy, but whenever something is funny to us, we start to laugh. How? What makes salt drop from our eyes, whenever we are feeling sad. Yes it is our sadness but how does it work, how does our bodies know when to cry when to laugh? Our laughter and our tears are beyond our control sometimes? How is it that something is so funny that we can't seem to stop laughing / crying?
Asked by Beg For It - Sun Mar 29 02:13:17 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. This is tough. I'm not sure but I think when things happen, (like salt drops) the nerve sends signals to the left brain which controls our emotions thus we do thing like cry etc..
Answered by tay f - Sun Mar 29 03:15:59 2009
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