Showing results for "laughing"

• present participle of laugh.

laughing

American  

[laf-ing, lah-fing] / ˈlæf ɪŋ, ˈlɑ fɪŋ /

adjective

1. that laughs or is given to laughter.

   a laughing child.

2. uttering sounds like human laughter, as some birds.

3. suggesting laughter by brightness, color, sound, etc..

   a laughing stream; laughing flowers.

4. laughable.

   The increase in crime is no laughing matter.

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noun

1. laughter.

Other Word Forms

• unlaughing
  adjective
• laughingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of laughing

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at laugh, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

laughing

The theatrical marching orders here seem to involve throwing spaghetti against the wall and laughing uproariously as it slides to the floor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Their lens finds people walking on their treadmills, talking on the phone, laughing with one another.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

There are scarcely any photos of him smiling or laughing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

She also described hearing Potier "laughing" outside court during the trial, talking about his belief that he would not be given a prison sentence partly because of his age.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

The way Papa was laughing and making a joke out of everything, I didn’t think it would hurt if I laughed a little, too.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• humorous