ENGLISH
REFERENCE

crease

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɹis// UK //kɹˈiːs// crease Archaic Informal Slang

v. to laugh so hard that you cannot stop. You use this when something is extremely funny.

v. to laugh uncontrollably or to cause someone else to do so. Often used in the passive voice or with a reflexive pronoun in informal British English.


SIMPLE

That joke really creases me every time I hear it.

CONTEXTUAL

The entire audience started to crease when the comedian's prop accidentally fell apart on stage.

COMPLEX

It is impossible to watch those old home videos without creasing, as the sheer absurdity of our childhood outfits becomes apparent to everyone in the room.

Synonyms
Origin

From earlier English creast, from Middle English crest (“ridge, crest”). More at crest.

Usage

Often used in the phrase 'crease up' or 'creasing with laughter'.

Pitfall

I was creased of the jokeI was creased by the jokeWhen used in the passive sense to mean 'made to laugh', it takes the preposition 'by' or 'at', not 'of'.

© 2026 English Reference