Definition of LAUGH

laugh

Meanings

Plural: laugh, laughed, laughs

Noun

  • the sound of laughing
  • a facial expression characteristic of a person laughing
    • "his face wrinkled in a silent laugh of derision"
  • a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
    • "thanks for the laugh"
    • "he laughed unpleasantly at his own jest"
  • An expression of mirth particular to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter.
  • Something that provokes mirth or scorn.
  • A fun person.

Verb

  • produce laughter
  • 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.
  • To be or appear cheerful, pleasant, mirthful, lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport.
  • To make an object of laughter or ridicule; to make fun of; to deride; to mock.
  • To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule.
  • To express by, or utter with, laughter.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English laughen, laghen, from (Anglian) Old English hlæhhan, hlehhan, (West Saxon) hliehhan, from Proto-West Germanic *hlahhjan, from Proto-Germanic *hlahjaną.
Cognates
Germanic: (with j-present) Scots lauch, Icelandic hlæja, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish le; (without) Low German lachen, Dutch lachen, German lachen.
Indo-European: Russian клекота́ть (klekotátʹ), клокота́ть (klokotátʹ), клохта́ть (kloxtátʹ) ‘to cluck, cackle’, Ancient Greek κλώζω (klṓzō), κλώσσω (klṓssō) ‘to cackle, clack’, Welsh cloch ‘bell’, possibly Latin glōcīre ‘to cluck’.

Synonyms

cachinnation, cackle, chortle, chuckle, express joy, express mirth, gag, giggle, guffaw, jape, jest, joke, laugh, laughing stock, laughter, snicker, snigger, titter

Antonyms

cry, weep

Scrabble Score: 9

laugh is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
laugh is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
laugh is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

laugh is a valid Words With Friends word