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Synonyms

belly laugh

American  

noun

  1. a deep, loud, hearty laugh.


belly laugh British  

noun

  1. a loud deep hearty laugh

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of belly laugh

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

See Examples For:

His older sister, Averie, was a protector who “beat up everybody for me from age 3 to like 15,” Domingo says, letting out an extended belly laugh.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 10, 2026

“Laughter is everything. When you laugh — like a real belly laugh — you’re letting out your inner self,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 26, 2026

There are moments in the show that aren't necessarily there to make you have a belly laugh, but they make you smile.

From Salon Sep. 30, 2023

The Legion, of course, riffs off of DC Comics’ Legion of Doom, complete with the Riddler and Gorilla Grodd wearing the famed dictator’s moustache, a scene more than worth a belly laugh.

From Washington Times Apr. 5, 2023

She has a low belly laugh that surprise you.

From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple

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