laugh

The word “laugh” means to make the sound and facial movements that show amusement or delight. In plain terms, to show you find something funny by making that familiar sound and smiling or grinning.

“Laugh” is pronounced lahf (/læf/ in IPA).

Here is “laugh” used in a sentence: “The whole audience laughed at the comedian's opening joke.”

The opposite of “laugh” — its antonyms — are cry and weep.

Depending on how it is used, “laugh” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “laugh” comes from Old English. From Old English hliehhan/hlæhhan, of Germanic origin, imitating the sound of laughter itself.

“Laugh” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Laugh” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make the sound and facial movements that show amusement or delight.

A smile is a silent facial expression, the corners of the mouth turning up. A laugh goes further, adding sound and often movement of the whole body, driven by stronger amusement or delight. You can smile quietly at a pleasant thought, but a laugh usually bursts out.

Both express amusement through sound. A giggle is light, high, and often nervous or silly, usually quieter and more restrained. A full laugh is broader, ranging from a soft chuckle to a loud roar. Giggling tends to suggest something more childlike, bashful, or hard to suppress.

Yes. Laughter is widely linked to wellbeing: it can ease stress, lift mood, and strengthen social bonds. It briefly boosts breathing and circulation and releases feel-good brain chemicals. While not a cure for illness, the old idea that laughter is good medicine reflects how it relaxes and connects people.

English has many words for shades of laughter. A chuckle is quiet and low, a giggle light and high, a chortle gleeful, a cackle harsh or shrill, a snicker sly or mocking, and a guffaw loud and hearty. Each describes a different sound and mood.