Word
crease
US/ˈkɹis/
UK/kɹˈiːs/
Humorous
In Japanese
Japanese from JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. All sources.
Definition
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.
Examples
“That joke really creases me every time I hear it.”
“The entire audience started to crease when the comedian's prop accidentally fell apart on stage.”
“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.”
Examples
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.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'crease up' or 'creasing with laughter'.
Pitfall
I was creased of the joke
I was creased by the joke
When used in the passive sense to mean 'made to laugh', it takes the preposition 'by' or 'at', not 'of'.
Real-World Examples
“There’s almost no crease in the screen, and the hinge is rock-solid.” “The screen also still has a fairly deep crease compared to the Z Fold 8, which has almost none now.” Etymology
From earlier English creast, from Middle English crest (“ridge, crest”). More at crest.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Pre-1
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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