Dictionary

gelast en · NOUN

Etymology

From Ancient Greek γελαστής (gelastḗs, “laugher”).

Meanings

1. (literary, rare) One who tends to laugh; a laugher.
   • So it might well be the other way round; not the agelast or misolgeast is "somewhat insensitive" to the ways of his fellows but the gelast or hypergelast. 1980 Fall, Gert Raeithel, “American Humor as an Experience of Growth”, in American Humor: An Interdisciplinary Newsletter, number 2, American Humor Studies Association, →ISSN, →JSTOR, →OCLC, page 4:
   • A personality profjle of the gelast or agelast has not so far been convincingly established, nor has a pattern of humor been consistently demonstrated in individuals with different personality types. 1988, Robin Andrew Haig, “Personal Attributes and Humor”, in The Anatomy of Humor: Biopsychosocial and Therapeutic Perspectives, Springfield, I.L.: Charles C Thomas, →ISBN, page 79:
   • Even if we grant that the "gelasts" are getting reduced to the dimensions of a petty sect, the consideration need not deter us from choosing laughter as our theme. 1902, James Sully, An Essay on Laughter: Its Forms, Its Causes, Its Development and Its Value, London; […]: Longmans, Green, and Co., page 2:
   • The phenomena presented by the misogelast, or laughter-hater; the agelast, or non-laugher; the gelast, who is the laugher himself, and the hypergelast, who is the laugher gone intemperate, are looked into, and as far as possible accounted for, by Dr. Sully. 1903 March, “Views and Reviews”, in The Catholic World, volume LXXVI, number 456, New York, N.Y.: The Paulist Fathers, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 839:

Forms

Antonyms

nonlaugher · agelast

Relateds

gelastic · hypergelast · hypergelastic · agelast · misogelast · misogelastic · agelastic