# laughing

/ˈɫæfɪŋ/ (US) · /lˈɑːfɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/laughing
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. the act of laughter

noun · CEFR A2

the act or sound of someone who is happy or finds something funny.

For teachers: the gerund or verbal noun form, referring to the activity or sound of laughter as a concept or event.

- I could hear their laughing from the other side of the house.
- The constant laughing from the back of the lecture hall eventually forced the professor to stop and request silence.

## Examples

- The children are laughing at the funny movie.
- Everyone started laughing when the comedian told a story about his clumsy cat.
- While some were laughing at the absurdity of the situation, others remained silent, unable to find any humor in such a blatant display of incompetence.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.