laugh
20 ENTRIES FOUND:
laughs;
laughed;
laughing
laughs;
laughed;
laughing
Britannica Dictionary definition of LAUGH
1
[no object]
:
to show that you are happy or that you think something is funny by smiling and making a sound from your throat
— often + at
-
What are you laughing about?
-
The audience was laughing hysterically.
-
I've never laughed so hard in my life.
-
I couldn't stop laughing when I saw what he was wearing.
-
I laughed out loud when I saw him.
-
I burst out laughing. [=I suddenly started laughing]
-
He laughed so hard I thought he'd die laughing.
-
The movie was hilarious. We laughed our heads off.
-
I laughed until I cried. [=I laughed so much that tears came out of my eyes]
-
(Brit) She was laughing like a drain. [=she was laughing very hard]
-
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry [=I was surprised and shocked] when she told me she was getting married.
-
It's no laughing matter when you lose your job. [=it's a serious and important thing that people should not joke about]
-
She laughed at the joke.
-
Why is everyone laughing at me?
2
[no object]
a
:
to think or say that someone or something is foolish and does not deserve serious attention or respect
— usually + at
-
People laughed at his predictions of disaster, but no one's laughing now.
b
:
to not be bothered by something
— + at
-
Sitting inside their tent, they were able to laugh at the weather.
-
He laughed at danger.
3
[+ object]
:
to say (something) in an amused way
-
“I've never seen anything so ridiculous,” he laughed.
4
[+ object]
:
to cause (someone) to go, move, etc., by laughing
-
The audience laughed the singer off the stage.
-
They laughed him out of town.
-
He laughed himself sick. [=he made himself sick by laughing too much]
◊ Someone or something that is laughed out of court or (US) laughed out of town is regarded as very foolish and is not accepted or treated in a serious way.
-
His theories were laughed out of court.
be laughing
British, informal
:
to be in a very good situation with nothing to worry about
-
If they can just close this important deal, they'll be laughing! [=they'll be on easy street]
don't make me laugh
informal
— used as a response to a statement that you think is very wrong or foolish
-
“I could beat you at chess easily.” “Don't make me laugh.”
have to laugh
◊ If you say you have to laugh about something, you mean that it is amusing in a certain way, even if it is also unpleasant or foolish.
-
I had to laugh when I found out that our luggage had been lost. What else could go wrong?
he who laughs last, laughs best
or he laughs best that laughs last
— used to say that even if you are not successful now you still succeed or win in the end
laugh all the way to the bank
:
to make a lot of money especially by doing something that other people thought was foolish or amusing
-
People thought his invention was ridiculous, but now he's laughing all the way to the bank.
laughing hyena, laughing like a hyena
laugh in someone's face
:
to laugh directly at someone in a way that shows disrespect
-
When I asked for his help he laughed in my face.
laugh off
[phrasal verb]
laugh (something) off
or
laugh off (something)
:
to laugh about or make jokes about (something) in order to make people think it is not serious or important
-
The candidate laughed off the question about his marriage.
-
The injury was serious, but he laughed it off.
laugh on the other side of your face
— used to say that a situation will change and someone will stop being happy or pleased
-
You'll be laughing on the other side of your face when I've finished with you!
laugh up your sleeve
:
to be secretly happy about or amused by something (such as someone else's trouble)
-
The mayor's critics were laughing up their sleeves when news of the scandal was first reported.
2
laugh
/ˈlæf/
Brit
/ˈlɑːf/
noun
plural
laughs
2
laugh
/ˈlæf/
Brit
/ˈlɑːf/
noun
plural
laughs
Britannica Dictionary definition of LAUGH
1
[count]
:
the act or sound of laughing
-
He gave a loud laugh.
-
a nervous laugh
-
I kept telling jokes, but I couldn't get a laugh. [=make people laugh]
-
a joke that always gets a big laugh
-
He'll do anything for a laugh. [=to make people laugh]
-
I thought her report was good for a laugh [=was amusing], but it didn't have much helpful information.
-
She's always good for a laugh. [=she always makes people laugh; she is a funny person]
-
It seemed awful at the time, but we had a (good) laugh about it afterward. [=we laughed about it afterward]
2
informal
a
[count]
:
something that causes laughter
:
something funny or foolish
-
The movie has a lot of laughs.
-
You're going to be a movie star? That's a laugh.
b
[singular]
chiefly British
:
a funny person
-
He's a real laugh.
a barrel of laughs
a laugh a minute
informal
:
someone or something that is very funny
-
That guy is a laugh a minute.
-
The movie is a laugh a minute.
for laughs
informal or chiefly British for a laugh
:
for amusement
-
The children were saying every word backward, just for laughs.
play for laughs
the last laugh
◊ If you have/get the last laugh, you finally succeed or win after people laughed at or doubted you.
