laughing

The word “laughing” means making the sound or expression of laughter. In plain terms, describing someone (or something) in the act of laughing.

“Laughing” is pronounced LAH-fihng (/ˈlɑːfɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “laughing” used in a sentence: “The children came running in, laughing and out of breath.”

“Laughing” is an adjective.

The word “laughing” comes from Middle English. From Middle English laughynge, the -ing form of laugh.

“Laughing” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Laughing is active and audible — the sound and movement that burst out with genuine amusement or joy. Smiling is quiet and still, just the upward curve of the mouth. A smile can be polite or faint, but laughing usually signals stronger, more spontaneous delight that you can actually hear.

It means something serious that should not be joked about or taken lightly. Despite containing "laughing," the phrase insists on the opposite — that the situation deserves concern, not amusement. You might say a rise in costs is "no laughing matter" to stress how genuinely serious it is.

Laughing gas is the common name for nitrous oxide, a gas sometimes used in medicine and dentistry to ease pain and anxiety. It earned the name because it can produce giddy, light-headed feelings and even fits of laughter. Here "laughing" describes the effect the gas is known for.