laugh — OET · Shobdo

laugh

verb

1 he started to laugh excitedly:

chuckle, chortle, guffaw, giggle, titter, snigger, snicker, cackle, howl, roar, tee-hee, burst out laughing, roar/hoot with laughter, shake with laughter, be convulsed with laughter, dissolve into laughter, split one's sides, hold one's sides, be doubled up;

informal be in stitches, die laughing, be rolling in the aisles, bust a gut, break up, be creased up, crease up, crack up;

British, informal fall about, laugh like a drain.

▷antonyms cry.

2 people laughed at Henry and his theories:

ridicule, mock, deride, scoff at, jeer at, sneer at, jibe at, make fun of, poke fun at, make jokes about, heap scorn on, scorn, pooh-pooh;

lampoon, satirize, caricature, parody;

taunt, tease, torment;

informal send up, take the mickey out of;

Australian, New Zealand, informal poke mullock at;

British, vulgar slang take the piss out of;

dated make sport of.

□ laugh something off

she laughed off criticism with good humour:

dismiss, make a joke of, make light of, refuse to acknowledge, overlook, turn a blind eye to, discount, ignore, disregard, shrug off, brush aside, scoff at, pooh-pooh, take no notice of, pay no attention to, play down, never mind;

informal cock a snook at.

▷antonyms take something to heart.

noun

1 he gave a short laugh:

chuckle, chortle, guffaw, giggle, titter, ha-ha, tee-hee, snigger, roar of laughter, hoot of laughter, shriek of laughter, peal of laughter, belly laugh.

2 informal he was a right laugh:

joker, comedian, comic, comedienne, humorist, wag, wit, entertainer, clown, funny man, funny woman, jester, prankster, character;

informal card, case, caution, hoot, scream, riot, barrel of laughs;

Australian, New Zealand, informal hard case.

▷antonyms bore, misery.

3 informal I entered the contest for a laugh:

joke, prank, piece of fun, jest, escapade, adventure, caper, romp, practical joke, trick, bit of mischief;

shenanigans, horseplay;

informal lark, giggle, hoot.

laugh Oxford Dictionary of English