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laughter

/ˈlæftər/
/ˈlɑftə/
IPA guide

Other forms: laughters

Whether you giggle or chuckle or snort with amusement, what you're producing is laughter. Laughter is also what people hear when you laugh.

Funny movies, your friends' jokes, and absurd or embarrassing situations all cause laughter, which is the word for both the action and the sound of someone laughing. Laughter can be a silent, shaking movement, or a loud guffaw. There are a few other primates besides humans who experience laughter, and most babies can shake with laughter before they're even able to speak.

Definitions of laughter
  1. noun
    the activity of laughing; the manifestation of joy or mirth or scorn
    “he enjoyed the laughter of the crowd”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    activity
    any specific behavior
  2. noun
    the sound of laughing
    synonyms: laugh
    see moresee less
    types:
    cachinnation
    loud convulsive laughter
    cackle
    a loud laugh suggestive of a hen's cackle
    chortle, chuckle
    a soft partly suppressed laugh
    giggle
    a foolish or nervous laugh
    belly laugh, guffaw
    a burst of deep loud hearty laughter
    ha-ha, haw-haw, hee-haw, horselaugh
    a loud laugh that sounds like a horse neighing
    snicker, snigger, snort
    a disrespectful laugh
    titter
    a nervous restrained laugh
    type of:
    utterance, vocalization
    the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
Pronunciation
US
/ˈlæftər/
UK
/ˈlɑftə/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘laughter'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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