hee hawing

Making donkey sounds

Hee hawing is making the braying sound of a donkey, or more commonly, laughing loudly and coarsely in a way that resembles it.

The term usually carries a mildly dismissive tone, suggesting the laughter is unsophisticated or obnoxious: A group of frat boys stood hee hawing at their own jokes.

Also spelled hee-hawing.

brayingMaking harsh donkey sounds
heehawDonkey vocalization
onomatopoeiaSound-imitating word formation
donkeyLong-eared equine
imitateReproduce another's behavior

mimic · guffaw · loud laugh · vocalization · snort · horselaugh · echoism · howl · slapstick · comic relief · buffoonery · funny business · chuckle · utterance · snicker · cackle · chortle · giggle

Opposites

vocalization type

hee hawingneighing

Equine vocal cry

whinnying · nickering · snorting · mewing · chirping

sound quality

hee hawingsilence

Total lack of sound

quiet · hushed · muted · whispering · murmuring

EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION (for laughter sense)

hee hawingsilent

Producing no sound

composed · stoic · stone-faced · poker-faced · dignified

Family

haw, hee-haw, hawed, hawing

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G