laugh
Sound of mirth
Laugh is the sound people make when something strikes them as funny—a burst of vocal expression showing amusement.
The verb and noun share this sense: She laughed at his joke, His laugh echoed through the room.
To laugh something off is to dismiss it lightly.
To have the last laugh is to succeed after others doubted you.
A laugh can also be something amusing: The movie was a laugh.
Laughable means absurd or ridiculous rather than genuinely funny.
Soft, silly vocalization
- chuckleLow, suppressed laugh
- cackleHarsh, shrill laugh
- chortleGleeful, breathy laugh
- snickerStifled, scornful laugh
titter · guffaw · roar · howl · snort · peal · shriek · bellow
Humorous statement seeking laughter
- comedyWork meant to amuse
- witClever, inventive humor
- punchlineHumor's final delivery
- quipBrief, clever remark
banter · jest · anecdote · funny · hilarious · amusing · comedic · wisecrack
Amusement with laughter
- gleeExuberant, often impish delight
- delightIntense pleasure or satisfaction
- happinessJoyful emotional state
- amusementPleased entertainment state
cheerfulness · lightheartedness · exuberance · jubilation · merriment · elation · buoyancy · joviality
Restoration of health
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- endorphinsBody's innate pain blockers
- stress-reliefReduction of mental tension
- copingManaging under strain
wellness · resilience · medicine · therapy · uplifting · rejuvenating · playfulness · lightening
Able to spread disease
- catchingAble to be transmitted
- spreadingExtending over space
- rippleMinor surface disturbance
- waveOscillating motion through medium
involuntary · uncontrollable · spontaneous · epidemic · trigger · irresistible · fit · hysterics
giggle
Soft, silly vocalization
snicker · titter · guffaw · roar · howl · snort · peal · shriek · bellow · bray
joke
Humorous statement seeking laughter
quip · banter · jest · anecdote · funny · hilarious · amusing · comedic · wisecrack · one-liner
mirth
Amusement with laughter
- gleeExuberant, often impish delight
- delightIntense pleasure or satisfaction
- happinessJoyful emotional state
amusement · cheerfulness · lightheartedness · exuberance · jubilation · merriment · elation · buoyancy · joviality · good-humor
healing
Restoration of health
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- endorphinsBody's innate pain blockers
- stress-reliefReduction of mental tension
coping · wellness · resilience · medicine · therapy · uplifting · rejuvenating · playfulness · lightening · relief
infectious
Able to spread disease
wave · involuntary · uncontrollable · spontaneous · epidemic · trigger · irresistible · fit · hysterics · unstoppable
ridicule
Contemptuous mocking treatment
derision · scorn · scoff · disdain · contempt · tease · jibe · razzing · belittle · dismiss
- laugh atExpress scornful amusement toward
- burst out laughingSuddenly begin guffawing
- laughed atReceived mocking attention
- laugh out loudVocalize strong amusement
- laughing atMocking with amusement
- laugh offDismiss with amusement
laughter, laughing, laughable, laughs, laughed, laugh at, laughingstock, laugher, laughably