laughter
Americannoun
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the action or sound of laughing.
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an inner quality, mood, disposition, etc., suggestive of laughter; mirthfulness.
a man of laughter and goodwill.
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an expression or appearance of merriment or amusement.
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Archaic. an object of laughter; subject or matter for amusement.
noun
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the action of or noise produced by laughing
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the experience or manifestation of mirth, amusement, scorn, or joy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of laughter
before 900; Middle English; Old English hleahtor; cognate with Old High German hlahtar, Old Norse hlātr; see laugh
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing laughter
Comedy Lingo
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Spelling Practice 2, Unit 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Laughter, however, is evolutionarily much older than speech and remains common to every living great ape, making it a rare opportunity to study how vocal communication evolved.
From Science Daily • Jul. 2, 2026
Two years prior, Brock’s old friend Sam Jayne, lead singer of regional peers Lync and Love as Laughter, was found dead in his car.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Delta has additionally called on Alain Bellemare, president of its international business, to also serve as chairman of the TechOps division previously helmed by Laughter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
His popularity faded in the second half the 1960s as bands like The Beatles came into fashion, but it revived in the 1970s with easy-listening favorites like "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood."
From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026
Laughter greets me when I return to the Court of Shadows.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
