laughter en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- lăfʹtər (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈlɑːftə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈlæftɚ/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English laughter, laghter, laȝter, from Old English hleahtor (“laughter, jubilation, derision”), from Proto-Germanic *hlahtraz (“laughter”), from Proto-Indo-European *klek-, *kleg- (“to shout”). Cognate with German Gelächter (“laughter, hilarity, merriment”), Danish and Norwegian latter (“laughter”), Icelandic hlátur (“laughter”). More at laugh.
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) The sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound.
Their loud laughter betrayed their presence.
There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town.
1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock:
-
(uncountable, usually) A movement (usually involuntary) of the muscles of the laughing face, particularly of the lips, and of the whole body, with a peculiar expression of the eyes, indicating merriment, satisfaction or derision, and usually attended by a sonorous and interrupted expulsion of air from the lungs.
The act of laughter, which is caused by a sweet contraction of the muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocal organs, is not merely, or totally within the jurisdiction of ourselves.
1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC:Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning with laughter.
1858 October 16, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Courtship of Miles Standish”, in The Courtship of Miles Standish, and Other Poems, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
- (archaic, uncountable, usually) A reason for merriment.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| laughtre | alternative | lexicographic | |
| laughters | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
lack-laughter · prelaughter · laughterful · dying laughter · laughterless · dying of laughter · underlaughter · canned laughter · evil laughter · laughtersome · clapter · unlaughter · laughter is the best medicine · laughter padding · laughter lines · laughter track · horselaughter · laughter yoga · Homeric laughter
Hyponyms
snicker · boff · hoot · evil laugh · chortle · yuk · giggle · titter · snigger · cachinnation · chuckle · guffaw · yuck
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (190)
nv dloh (sound (as) of laughing) · ga gáire (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · umg alal (sound (as) of laughing) · si සිනාව (sound (as) of laughing) · uz kulish (sound (as) of laughing) · cu смѣхъ (sound (as) of laughing) · id gelak (sound (as) of laughing) · th เสียงหัวเราะ (sound (as) of laughing) · cs smích (sound (as) of laughing) · uga 𐎕𐎈𐎖 (sound (as) of laughing) · ang hleahtor (sound (as) of laughing) · sq qeshje (sound (as) of laughing) · da grin (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · gd gàire (sound (as) of laughing) · rm risaglia (sound (as) of laughing) · ca riure (sound (as) of laughing) · sh хихот (sound (as) of laughing) · az gülüş (sound (as) of laughing) · fur ridi (sound (as) of laughing) · rm riez (sound (as) of laughing) · de Gelächter (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · be сьмех (sound (as) of laughing) · qu asiy (sound (as) of laughing) · sh hȉhōt (sound (as) of laughing) · cmn 笑 (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · lv smiekli (sound (as) of laughing) · hu nevetés (sound (as) of laughing) · eo ridado (sound (as) of laughing) · fi nauru (sound (as) of laughing) · ca riure (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · mn инээд (sound (as) of laughing) · uk сміх (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · sh smijȇh (sound (as) of laughing) · la cachinnus (sound (as) of laughing) · ms ketawa (sound (as) of laughing) · ps خندا (sound (as) of laughing) · sh сме̑х (sound (as) of laughing) · jv guyu (sound (as) of laughing) · om kolfa (sound (as) of laughing) · ka სიცილი (sound (as) of laughing) · hi खंदा (sound (as) of laughing) · el γέλιο (sound (as) of laughing) · sq gajasje (sound (as) of laughing) · tfn dloʼ (sound (as) of laughing) · fa-ira خَنْدِه (sound (as) of laughing) · tk gülki (sound (as) of laughing) · fr rire (sound (as) of laughing) · pa ਹਲਰਾ (sound (as) of laughing) · hi ख़ंदा (sound (as) of laughing) · sc risida (sound (as) of laughing) · cmn 笑聲 /笑声 (sound (as) of laughing) · ja 笑い声 (sound (as) of laughing) · pt riso (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · it risata (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · yue 笑聲 /笑声 (sound (as) of laughing) · pl śmiech (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · sh кикот (sound (as) of laughing) · sa हास (sound (as) of laughing) · sms smiâhh (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ro râs (sound (as) of laughing) · mba potawa (sound (as) of laughing) · ca rialla (sound (as) of laughing) · tfn dleqʼ (sound (as) of laughing) · pt risada (sound (as) of laughing) · km ហាស (sound (as) of laughing) · si හිනාව (sound (as) of laughing) · fi nauru (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · is hlátur (sound (as) of laughing) · nds Lachen (sound (as) of laughing) · nl gelach (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ro râset (sound (as) of laughing) · gd gàire (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · my ရယ်မောခြင်း (sound (as) of laughing) · sh kȉkōt (sound (as) of laughing) · dsb směch (sound (as) of laughing) · ky күлкү (sound (as) of laughing) · ca riallada (sound (as) of laughing) · pl śmiech (sound (as) of laughing) · ug كۈلكە (sound (as) of laughing) · ar ضَحِك (sound (as) of laughing) · nv dloh (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ru хо́хот (sound (as) of laughing) · la rīsus (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ko 웃기 (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · bo དགོད་སྒྲ (sound (as) of laughing) · ko 웃음 (sound (as) of laughing) · sh смије̑х (sound (as) of laughing) · kk күлкі (sound (as) of laughing) · uk сміх (sound (as) of laughing) · it riso (sound (as) of laughing) · de Lachen (sound (as) of laughing) · id ketawa (sound (as) of laughing) · hu nevetés (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ca rialla (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · be ро́гат (sound (as) of laughing) · sh смије̑х (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · fr rire (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ko 웃음 (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · am ሳቅ (sound (as) of laughing) · oc risada (sound (as) of laughing) · lo ສຽງຫົວ (sound (as) of laughing) · hsb směch (sound (as) of laughing) · enm laughter (sound (as) of laughing) · sh smȇh (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · it risata (sound (as) of laughing) · uz qahqaha (sound (as) of laughing) · az qəhqəhə (sound (as) of laughing) · be смех (sound (as) of laughing) · pa ਹਾਸਾ (sound (as) of laughing) · pt risos (sound (as) of laughing) · yi געלעכטער (sound (as) of laughing) · hy քրքիջ (sound (as) of laughing) · nl gelach (sound (as) of laughing) · sv skratt (sound (as) of laughing) · hy ծիծաղ (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · lo ສຽງຫົວ (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · cs smích (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ky кулуу (sound (as) of laughing) · tk jakyrdy (sound (as) of laughing) · ja 笑い (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · prs خَنْدَه (sound (as) of laughing) · ko 웃음소리 (sound (as) of laughing) · ru смех (sound (as) of laughing) · hi हास (sound (as) of laughing) · uz kulgi (sound (as) of laughing) · lt juõkas (sound (as) of laughing) · nb latter (sound (as) of laughing) · sk smiech (sound (as) of laughing) · szl śmiych (sound (as) of laughing) · es risa (sound (as) of laughing) · he צְחוֹק (sound (as) of laughing) · tl tawa (sound (as) of laughing) · fur ridade (sound (as) of laughing) · da latter (sound (as) of laughing) · ur ہَنْسی (sound (as) of laughing) · ga gáire (sound (as) of laughing) · rue сміх (sound (as) of laughing) · gl risa (sound (as) of laughing) · hy ծիծաղ (sound (as) of laughing) · mt daħq (sound (as) of laughing) · de Gelächter (sound (as) of laughing) · tr gülüş (sound (as) of laughing) · bn হাসি (sound (as) of laughing) · hi हंसी (sound (as) of laughing) · sl smeh (sound (as) of laughing) · rup arãs (sound (as) of laughing) · tr kahkaha (sound (as) of laughing) · tg ханда (sound (as) of laughing) · pt risada (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · rm riem (sound (as) of laughing) · bg смях (sound (as) of laughing) · hy քրքիջ (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · pi hāsa (sound (as) of laughing) · uk ре́гіт (sound (as) of laughing) · km ហស (sound (as) of laughing) · sv skratt (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · de Lachen (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · vi sự cười (sound (as) of laughing) · mr हास्य (sound (as) of laughing) · ab аччара (sound (as) of laughing) · el γέλιο (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · ur خَنْدَہ (sound (as) of laughing) · grc γέλως (sound (as) of laughing) · eu barre (sound (as) of laughing) · vi tiếng cười (sound (as) of laughing) · nl lachen (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · kmr ken (sound (as) of laughing) · rm riöz (sound (as) of laughing) · ja 笑い (sound (as) of laughing) · ar ضِحْك (sound (as) of laughing) · km សំណើច (sound (as) of laughing) · id tawa (sound (as) of laughing) · sh smȇh (sound (as) of laughing) · ru смех (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · orv смѣхъ (sound (as) of laughing) · mk смеа (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · sms smiâhh (sound (as) of laughing) · km សំណើច (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · mk сме́а (sound (as) of laughing) · sh сме̑х (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · la rīsus (sound (as) of laughing) · grc γέλως (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · km ក្អាក (sound (as) of laughing) · tl pagtawa (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · rsk шмих (sound (as) of laughing) · rm risada (sound (as) of laughing) · oc ris (sound (as) of laughing) · qu asiy (movement of the muscles of the laughing face) · et naer (sound (as) of laughing) · sh smijȇh (movement of the muscles of the laughing face)