laughter
Americannoun
-
the action or sound of laughing.
-
an inner quality, mood, disposition, etc., suggestive of laughter; mirthfulness.
a man of laughter and goodwill.
-
an expression or appearance of merriment or amusement.
-
Archaic. an object of laughter; subject or matter for amusement.
noun
-
the action of or noise produced by laughing
-
the experience or manifestation of mirth, amusement, scorn, or joy
Other Word Forms
- laughterless adjective
Etymology
Origin of laughter
before 900; Middle English; Old English hleahtor; cognate with Old High German hlahtar, Old Norse hlātr; laugh
Explanation
Whether you giggle or chuckle or snort with amusement, what you're producing is laughter. Laughter is also what people hear when you laugh. Funny movies, your friends' jokes, and absurd or embarrassing situations all cause laughter, which is the word for both the action and the sound of someone laughing. Laughter can be a silent, shaking movement, or a loud guffaw. There are a few other primates besides humans who experience laughter, and most babies can shake with laughter before they're even able to speak.
Vocabulary lists containing laughter
Comedy Lingo
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Spelling Practice 2, Unit 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Beneath the eye-rolling and laughter at this Francis is real concern.
From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026
Exploitation is not inherently funny, and there’s a vast difference between a movie that earns your laughter and one that expects a certain reaction.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
“If we don’t have laughter in these moments, what do we have?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Carney was referring to a viral image of a jar of nutella floating through the Orion space capsule, and his question had the crew in fits of laughter.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
I roar with laughter, falling back onto the floor.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
