guffaw

[guh-faw, guh-]

See more synonyms for guffaw on Thesaurus.com

noun

a loud, unrestrained burst of laughter.

verb (used without object)

to laugh loudly and boisterously.

Origin of guffaw

First recorded in 1710–20; perhaps imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for guffaw

laughter, roar, shout, snort, shriek, howl, howling

Examples from the Web for guffaw

Contemporary Examples of guffaw

The perfect amount of raunchy shock value to color a guffaw with a gasp.
‘Veep’ Is a F*@king Masterclass in Cursing
Kevin Fallon
April 7, 2014
Even those who support union with Russia guffaw when asked whether the referendum will be above board.
Crimeans Are Resigned To Pro-Russia Vote
Jamie Dettmer
March 15, 2014
She had an incredible laugh—something between a giggle and a guffaw.
Saying Goodbye to Doc
Maryanne Vollers
June 26, 2009

Historical Examples of guffaw

A tremendous shout from one end of the ship to the other stopped his guffaw.
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
Joseph Conrad
That brought a guffaw from some of the youngsters, but Dick shook his head.
The Grammar School Boys of Gridley
H. Irving Hancock
"I'm the Vicar's bottle-washer, you know," added the curate, with a guffaw.
The Hero
William Somerset Maugham
“Old Taffs started a cigar-case,” said Dick, bursting into a guffaw.
Menhardoc
George Manville Fenn
They laughed so loudly that Jim first smiled, then burst into a guffaw himself.
Dorothy's Triumph
Evelyn Raymond

British Dictionary definitions for guffaw

guffaw

noun

a crude and boisterous laugh

verb

to laugh crudely and boisterously or express (something) in this way

Word Origin for guffaw

C18: of imitative origin

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

Word Origin and History for guffaw

1720, Scottish, probably imitative of the sound of coarse laughter. Cf. gawf (early 16c.) "loud, noisy laugh." The verb is from 1721. Related: Guffawed; guffawing.