laughter

laughter — noun

1. the sounds and movements that people make with their mouth and face when they fi

1.nounA2
Definition

the sounds and movements that people make with their mouth and face when they find something funny, hear a good joke, or are very happy

Example

Laughter echoed through the hallway as Jabari told one silly joke after another.

uncountable noun as subject — laughter echoed

The sound of Nkechi's laughter always made her little sister smile too.

possessive structure: [name]'s laughter

Common collocations
  • loud laughter
  • warm laughter
  • nervous laughter
  • contagious laughter
  • burst into laughter
  • roar with laughter
  • dissolve into laughter
  • peals of laughter
  • gales of laughter
  • fits of laughter
  • laughter echoed
  • laughter filled the room
Synonyms
  • giggling

    lighter, higher-pitched laughter, often from children or embarrassment

  • chuckling

    quieter laughter, often to oneself; less intense than laughter

  • guffawing

    loud, unrestrained, booming laughter; more informal and emphatic

Antonyms
  • crying

    the opposite emotional response

  • silence

    complete absence of sound, including laughter

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + laughter

adjective + laughter

there was + laughter

Usage Note

Laughter is an uncountable noun and is not used in the plural. To refer to a single occurrence, use the countable noun 'laugh' (e.g., 'She gave a loud laugh').

Common Mistakes

I heard laughters from the next room.
I heard laughter from the next room.
Laughter does not have a plural form.
She let out a loud laughter.
She let out a loud laugh.
Use the countable noun 'laugh' for one instance.
Idioms

split your sides (laughing/with laughter)

idiom

To laugh very hard and for a long time at something.

Maya split her sides laughing at the comedian's jokes.

Did you split your sides with laughter during the movie?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe sounds of amusement, but they differ in intensity and connotation. Laughter is the general, neutral term for the sound and movement of laughing. Giggling suggests a lighter, higher-pitched, sometimes nervous sound — typical of children or people who are embarrassed. Chuckling is quieter and gentler, often done alone or in response to a private thought. Guffawing is loud, uninhibited, and somewhat coarse — a deep, booming laugh that draws attention. For example: 'The audience burst into laughter at the punchline' (general), 'The children were giggling behind the door' (light/high), 'He kept chuckling to himself while reading the comic' (quiet/private), 'Her joke made the whole table guffaw' (loud/unrestrained).

laughter ↗gigglingchucklingguffawing

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • roar with laughter
  • burst into laughter
  • dissolve into laughter
  • shake with laughter
  • double up with laughter

Prepositions

  • with laughter
  • into laughter

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Laughter comes from Old English 'hleahtor', which is related to the verb 'hlæhhan' (to laugh). Both words trace further back to a Proto-Germanic root '*hlachtraz', which itself comes from an ancient imitative sound — the word was probably created to copy the sound of laughing itself.