laugh 1 of 2

verb

ˈlaf How to pronounce laugh (audio)
Definition of laughnext
1
as in to giggle
to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound everyone laughed when the clown dramatically slipped and fell

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to smile
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions you're going to try out for the football team? Don't make me laugh!

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laugh

2 of 2

noun

1
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement the child's frown turned into a laugh when he saw the clown

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoot
someone or something that is very funny that new sitcom is a laugh

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter the film comedy had a good laugh in just about every scene

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of laugh
Verb
Thousands laughed when it was shown at a semester-end chapel. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The entertainer kept his composure, and then laughed about it all. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
Kick off your weekend with some laughs at Funny Fridays hosted by award-winning Atlanta comedian Joel Byars, who will be joined by Piere Guyton, Katie Hughes and Vanessa Fraction. — Mary Caldwell, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Stories of childhood rules, clothing snafus and Granger as a grandmother got laughs from listeners. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laugh
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laugh
  1. giggle
  2. smile
  3. chuckle
  4. hoot
  5. joke
  6. scream
  7. sneer
  8. laughter
Verb
  • The dynamic duo giggled and hugged as curious onlookers took out their iPhones and started snapping away.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The quarterback, 30, could be seen smiling as Bronze giggled and Golden looked directly at the camera.
    — Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of giggle
Verb
  • Carlile is having a total blast smiling and bopping through it, and bandmates Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby’s harmonies are divine.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Brin, by contrast, seemed to enjoy the attention, turning in his seat to smile at the press photographers behind him, a person who was there recounts to me.
    — Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of smile
Noun
  • So Sydanmaa looks back on his first-ever varsity play with a chuckle.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Brian Leonard’s smartly funny ode to his difficult daughter — a child whose behavior was so problematic, the family cycled through 28 therapists — offers plenty of chuckles, even with key questions left unanswered.
    — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of chuckle
Noun
  • Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles.
    — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The End of Oak Street is a hoot and a half, but its resolutions yield far more questions than actual answers.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoot
Noun
  • And honestly, that’s kind of the best joke there is — some classic America’s Funniest Home Videos type stuff.
    — Maria Bamford, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Sumaila has a running joke about it, borrowed from an old British comedy about a heist gone wrong.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • Otherwise, there’s definitely a family-friendly element to the hotel (the whole storybook feel screams childhood), though the food options may be a little bit advanced for a kids’ palate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
  • His career numbers – 24 touchdown passes against 22 interceptions – hardly scream program savior.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • If traditional noir drew much of its energy from sneering with style at America’s sunny master narratives, those narratives have largely broken down, as has the homogenous mass-media ecosystem that endlessly recirculated them.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • But the Velvets were sneering at the false dichotomy between those things back in the ’60s.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of sneer
Noun
  • Giants tend to always stand a bit apart, but in true Palestinian style, Sliman had a few dear friends who shared in his times of ease and his laughter.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There was a pause, as a room full of songwriters — the event was specifically for the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing — erupted into laughter.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of laughter

Phrases Containing laugh

Browse Nearby Words

lauds
laugh
laughable
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Cite this Entry

“Laugh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laugh. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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