laugh — to make sounds and movements that express amusement or happiness
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make sounds and movements that express amusement or happiness
Pronunciation (IPA): /læf/
Example Sentences
- My dad's dad jokes are so bad that we laugh because they're terrible, not because they're funny.
- She laughed so hard at the meme that she snorted milk out of her nose.
- Don't laugh at my pronunciation - I'm still learning English!
laugh
VERB[/læf/]
to make sounds and movements that express amusement or happiness
A family laughs together while watching something hilarious on movie night
The whole staff can't help but laugh - half are in tears!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old English 'hliehhan', which shares a common Germanic root found across the Germanic language family. As one of humanity's most fundamental emotional expressions, similar forms appear across many languages, reflecting the universal nature of laughter.
Breakdown
Old English 'hliehhan' evolved through Middle English 'laughen' to the modern English 'laugh', with the initial 'hl-' consonant cluster simplifying and vowel sounds shifting during the Middle English period.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My dad's dad jokes are so bad that we laugh because they're terrible, not because they're funny.”
“She laughed so hard at the meme that she snorted milk out of her nose.”
“Don't laugh at my pronunciation - I'm still learning English!”
“The baby's laugh is the sweetest sound in the world.”
“He tried not to laugh when his teacher slipped on a banana peel like in cartoons.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.