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laugh

v. · n.
US //ˈɫæf// UK //lˈɑːf// laugh
  1. 1 to show mirth (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to make a sound and move your face because you are happy or think something is funny.

    to express amusement or mirth through spontaneous vocal sounds and facial movements. Intransitive, often taking the preposition 'at'.

    Example

    The children started to laugh when the clown did a silly dance.

    Example

    The audience laughed uproariously at the comedian's sharp observations, filling the small theatre with a contagious energy.
    Pitfall
    We laughed about his funny story.
    We laughed at his funny story.

    While you can 'laugh about' a situation later, the standard preposition for the immediate cause of laughter is 'at'.

  2. 2 to mock (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to make fun of someone or something in an unkind way.

    to treat someone or something with ridicule or derision. Usually takes the preposition 'at'.

    Example

    It is not nice to laugh at people when they make a mistake.

    Example

    Critics laughed at the director's ambitious vision when the film first debuted, though it later became a cult classic.
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  1. 3 the sound of laughter (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    the sound you make when you are laughing.

    the audible manifestation of laughing; a vocal expression of amusement.

    Example

    I heard a loud laugh coming from the other room.

    Example

    Her distinctive, melodic laugh could be heard across the crowded gala, acting as a beacon for her friends.
  2. 4 a fun person or thing (n.)
    B1 Intermediate British English Informal

    a person or situation that is very fun or funny.

    a person, event, or situation that provides amusement or entertainment. Often used in the phrase 'a good laugh'.

    Example

    You should invite Sarah to the party; she is a great laugh.

    Example

    The weekend trip was a real laugh, providing a much-needed break from the intensity of the office environment.
Origin

From Middle English laughen, laghen, from (Anglian) Old English hlæhhan, hlehhan, (West Saxon) hliehhan, from Proto-West Germanic hlahhjan, from Proto-Germanic hlahjaną. Cognates Germanic: Scots lauch (“to laugh”), Yola leeigh, leigh (“to laugh”), North Frisian laache, lachi, laake, loache, lååke (“to laugh”), Saterland Frisian laachje (“to laugh”), West Frisian laitsje (“to laugh”), Alemannic German lache (“to laugh”), Cimbrian lachan (“to laugh”), Dutch, German, and Low German lachen (“to laugh”), Luxembourgish laachen (“to laugh”), Yiddish לאַכן (lakhn, “to laugh”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Swedish le (“to laugh”), Elfdalian läa (“to laugh”), Faroese læa (“to laugh”), Icelandic hlæja (“to laugh”), Norwegian Nynorsk le, læ, læja (“to laugh”), Crimean Gothic lachen (“to laugh”), Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hlahjan, “to laugh”). Indo-European: Breton kloc'h (“bell”), Irish clog (“bell; clock”), Manx and Scottish Gaelic clag (“bell”), Welsh cloch (“bell”), Russian клекота́ть (klekotátʹ), клокота́ть (klokotátʹ), клохта́ть (kloxtátʹ, “to cluck, cackle”).

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