laugh
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++laugh1 /lɑːf $ læf/ ●●● S2 W2 verb 1 [intransitive]LAUGH to make sounds with your voice, usually while you are smiling, because you think something is funny 发出笑声，(大)笑 Maria looked at him and laughed. 玛丽亚看着他大笑起来。laugh at/about ‘I didn’t know what I was doing, ’ she said, laughing at the memory. “我做了什么自己都不知道。” 她说道，自嘲起自己的记忆力。 Tony was laughing so hard he had to steady himself on the table. 托尼笑得太厉害了，靠着桌子才能让自己站稳。 Nora laughed so much that she nearly cried. 诺拉笑得眼泪都快出来了。laugh heartily/uproariously/hysterically etc (=laugh a lot) 开怀大笑/哄然大笑/歇斯底里地大笑等 The kids tumbled around on the floor, laughing hysterically. 孩子们狂笑着在地板上打滚。 He couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing (=suddenly started laughing). 他情不自禁地放声大笑起来。laugh your head off 狂笑不已 He’s one of the few writers who can make me laugh out loud. 有几位作家能让我放声大笑，他是其中之一。2 [transitive]SAY/STATE to say something in a voice that shows you are amused 笑着说 ‘You look ridiculous!’ Nick laughed. “你看起来真可笑！” 尼克笑着说。3 not know whether to laugh or cry UPSETANNOYto feel upset or annoyed about something bad that has happened, but also able to see that there is something funny about it 哭笑不得 And when I couldn’t find the passports – honestly, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! 而当我找不到护照的时候——说真的，我不知道该笑还是该哭！4 don’t make me laugh spokenNO used when someone has just told you something that is completely untrue, asked for something impossible etc 别开玩笑了 ‘Can you finish this by tomorrow?’ ‘Don’t make me laugh.’ “你明天能做完吗？” “别开玩笑了。”5 no laughing matter informalSERIOUS/NOT JOKING something serious that should not be joked about 严肃的事，不是闹着玩的事 It’s no laughing matter having to walk by a group of rowdy drunks every night just to get home. 每天晚上回家都得从一群吵吵闹闹的醉汉身边经过，可不是开玩笑的事。6 be laughed out of court (also be laughed out of town/business etc American English)MAKE FUN OF if a person or idea is laughed out of court etc, the idea is not accepted because people think it is completely stupid 被一笑了之，被置之不理 We can’t propose that! We’d be laughed out of court! 我们不能那样提议！ 会被人家笑话的！7. you have to laugh spokenFUNNY used to say that, even though a situation is annoying or disappointing, you can also see that there is something funny about it 还是值得一笑〔指尽管情况令人心烦或失望，但其中有些事还是很好笑〕8. be laughing all the way to the bank informalRICH to make a lot of money without making much effort 一路笑着去银行，轻松地赚到大钱9. somebody will be laughing on the other side of their face spokenREGRET/FEEL SORRY used to say that although someone is happy or confident now, they will be in trouble later 某人将转笑为哭，某人将转喜为忧10 be laughing British English spoken informalHAPPYSATISFIED to be happy or in a good situation, for example because something has had a successful result for you 正高兴；正处于佳境 Well they paid me, didn’t they, so I’m laughing. 喏，他们付钱给我了，是不是，所以我正高兴着呢。11 laugh in somebody’s face RUDE/IMPOLITEto behave towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them 当面嘲笑[取笑]某人 I told my sister what I thought, and she just laughed in my face. 我把我的想法告诉姐姐，她竟然当面嘲笑我。12. laugh up your sleeve RUDE/IMPOLITEto be secretly happy, especially because you have played a trick on someone or criticized them without them knowing 暗笑，窃笑，偷笑13 laugh at somebody/something phrasal verb a) LAUGHto make unkind or funny remarks about someone, because they have done or said something you think is stupid 嘲笑，取笑 SYN tease I’m afraid the other kids will laugh at me because I don’t understand. 我担心其他孩子会取笑我不懂。b) SERIOUS/NOT JOKINGto seem not to care about something that most people would worry about 不在乎，漠视 Young offenders just laugh at this sort of sentence. 年轻的罪犯对这种判决根本不在乎。14 laugh something ↔ off phrasal verb SERIOUS/NOT JOKINGto pretend that something is less serious than it really is by laughing or joking about it 用笑摆脱；对…一笑了之 Knox laughed off rumors that he would be running for mayor. 诺克斯对自己要竞选市长的传言一笑了之。 COLLOCATIONSnverbsburst out laughing (=suddenly start laughing)She looked at him and burst out laughing.make somebody laughI like Ron, he makes me laugh.begin/start to laughHe suddenly began to laugh.want to laugh (=to feel like laughing, even though it might be more polite not to)He was so earnest that I wanted to laugh.try not to laugh (=to not laugh, even though something is funny, because it would not be polite)‘Are you all right?’ Amy said, trying not to laugh.fall about laughing British English (=laugh a lot)He saw the look on my face and he just fell about laughing.nadverbslaugh hysterically (=laugh so much that you cannot stop, because you find something extremely funny)The people at the next table were laughing hysterically at us.laugh heartily especially written (=laugh a lot)Misha laughed heartily throughout the play.laugh out loud/aloud (=laugh so that other people can hear you)Some parts of the book were so funny that they made me laugh out loud.phraseslaugh your head off (=laugh a lot) 狂笑不已nThe audience laughed its head off all the way through.nlaugh till you cry/laugh till the tears run down your faceHe leaned back in his chair and laughed till the tears ran down his face. THESAURUSlaugh to make sounds with your voice and move your face, because you think that something is funny 发出笑声，(大)笑He looked so funny that we couldn’t stop laughing. 他看上去好滑稽，我们都忍不住大笑起来。giggle to laugh quickly in a high voice, especially in a slightly silly way, or because you are nervous or embarrassed 〔因紧张或尴尬而〕咯咯笑，傻笑A group of teenage girls were giggling in a corner. 一群十几岁的女孩子在角落里咯咯笑着。She tends to giggle when she meets new people. 她遇见生人就会傻笑。chuckle to laugh quietly, especially because you are thinking about or reading something funny 低声轻笑，暗笑He was chuckling to himself over an article in the paper. 他读着报上一篇文章，轻声笑了出来。n‘We used to get up to all kinds of mischief.’ She chuckled at the memory.snigger British English, snicker American English to laugh quietly in an unkind or unpleasant way, for example when someone is hurt or embarrassed 〔不怀好意地〕偷笑Billy stood up and started to sing, and one or two people sniggered. 比利站起身开始唱歌，有一两个人偷偷地笑。ntitter to laugh quietly in a high voice, especially about something that is rude or about sex, or is embarrassing for someoneAs a nation we love to titter over politicians’ sex scandals.schoolboys tittering over a magazineroar with laughter to laugh very loudly, especially with a deep voice 放声大笑I could hear my father roaring with laughter at something on TV. 我听见父亲被电视上的什么东西引得放声大笑。shriek with laughter to laugh very loudly, especially with a high voice 尖声大笑Patsy chased him down the stairs, shrieking with laughter. 帕齐尖声大笑，追着他跑下楼来。howl with laughter to laugh very loudly – used especially about a group of people laughing together 〔尤指一群人〕狂笑His plays have made audiences howl with laughter. 他的剧作总让观众狂笑。in stitches laughing so much that you cannot stop 忍俊不禁It was such a funny film – it had us all in stitches. 那部电影太好笑了，惹得我们笑个不停。guffaw /ɡəˈfɔː $ -ˈfɒː/ to laugh very loudly and without trying to stop yourself 大笑不止The audience guffawed at his nonstop jokes. 他的笑话一个接一个，观众笑声不断。cackle to laugh loudly in an unpleasant way 刺耳地大笑The old woman cackled at the trouble she was causing. 那老妇人惹下了麻烦，却嘎嘎大笑。→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
laugh• "It won't even be cold when we get there, " Sabina laughed.• Mrs Meiers blamed me because I laughed.• I thought Dad would be angry, but he just laughed.• We just looked at each other and burst out laughing.• I couldn't understand what they were all laughing about.• I laughed all the way through the film.• Looking down, she saw him beside a bush, only half concealed, laughing at her face.• No-one laughed at his jokes.• Humans can be reduced to tears by tickling, but most of the time we laugh because of auditory cues.• Frankly, we don't know whether to laugh or cry.• We were laughing so hard we couldn't stop.laugh at/about• Why should Willi always make himself look so ludicrous so that people laughed at him?• You can laugh at his sideburns.• He can laugh about his strange circumstances and at himself.• When Gyggle first explained this experiment to me I almost laughed at how facile it was.• But most of all, children laugh at jokes that are a play on words.• She is laughing at our ignorance.• I can laugh about Santana, but he embarrassed me and it cost me.• Everybody laughed at the joke.• You get him and the class laughing at you.laugh2 ●●● S3 noun 1 LAUGH[countable] the act of laughing or the sound you make when you laugh 笑；笑声2 [countable] if something is a laugh, you have fun and enjoy yourself when you are doing it 开心愉快的事3 somebody is a (good) laugh British EnglishFUNNY used to say that someone is amusing and fun to be with 某人很有趣4 for laughs (also for a laugh British English) for fun 为了好玩5 that’s a laugh spoken used to say that something is silly or unlikely 简直是笑话〔用于表示某事荒唐或不可能〕6 have the last laugh to finally be successful, win an argument etc, after other people have earlier criticized you, defeated you etc 笑到最后，取得最后成功[胜利]7. be a laugh a minute informalFUNNY to be very funny – sometimes used humorously to mean that someone or something is not at all funny 有趣，很好笑〔有时幽默地形容十分无趣〕 COLLOCATIONSverbsgive/let out a laugh 大笑She gave a loud laugh. 她大声笑起来。get a laugh (also draw a laugh British English written) (=be laughed at) 获得笑声Most of his jokes didn’t even get a laugh. 他的大部分笑话甚至没人发笑。get a laugh out of somebody (=make someone laugh) 让某人发笑I always managed to get a laugh out of my audience. 我总是能够逗观众发笑。have a laugh about/at/over something (=laugh about something) 为某事物发笑The farmer had a good laugh at our attempts to catch the horse. 我们费尽气力想抓住那匹马，惹得那农场主哈哈大笑。I could use a laugh (=I want to hear something funny to cheer me up) 让我开心开心Tell me what she said - I could use a laugh. 告诉我她说了些什么——让我开心开心。ADJECTIVES/NOUN + laugha good laugh 好笑We all got a good laugh out of it later. 后来我们都觉得它很好笑。a big laugh 大笑There was a big laugh from the crowd. 人群一阵大笑。a short/little/small laugh 笑了笑He let out a nervous little laugh. 他紧张地笑了笑。a loud/soft laugh 大声/轻声的笑nHe let out a loud laugh when he heard what had happened.a belly laugh (=a deep loud laugh) 捧腹大笑nIt’s the kind of comedy that raises a smile rather than a belly laugh.na hearty laugh (=a loud laugh that shows you really enjoyed something)With a hearty laugh, he began to tell the story.na nervous laugh‘Don’t be silly, ’ she said with a nervous laugh.Examples from the Corpus
laugh• "She says she'll be here early to help." "That's a laugh."• She gave a little nervous laugh and glanced towards Robyn.with a laugh• And yet that part of the interview could have been dismissed with a laugh in five seconds.• "I guess I'm a comedian at heart, " she said with a laugh.lots of laughs• In the beginning we had lots of laughs and kept falling off because of the balance.Origin laugh1 Old English hliehhanlaugh1 verb →COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1laugh2 noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChinese
make voice, Corpus while usually sounds to with your
laugh
laugh1 S2 W2 /lɑːf $ læf/ 
verb
Maria looked at him and laughed.
laugh at/about
‘I didn’t know what I was doing,’ she said, laughing at the memory.
Tony was laughing so hard he had to steady himself on the table.
Nora laughed so much that she nearly cried.
laugh heartily/uproariously/hysterically etc (=laugh a lot)
The kids tumbled around on the floor, laughing hysterically.
He couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing (=suddenly started laughing).
laugh your head off
He’s one of the few writers who can make me laugh out loud.
2. [transitive] to say something in a voice that shows you are amused:
‘You look ridiculous!’ Nick laughed.
3. not know whether to laugh or cry to feel upset or annoyed about something bad that has happened, but also able to see that there is something funny about it:
And when I couldn’t find the passports – honestly, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!
4. don’t make me laugh spoken used when someone has just told you something that is completely untrue, asked for something impossible etc:
‘Can you finish this by tomorrow?’ ‘Don’t make me laugh.’
5. no laughing matter informal something serious that should not be joked about:
It’s no laughing matter having to walk by a group of rowdy drunks every night just to get home.
6. be laughed out of court (also be laughed out of town/business etc American English) if a person or idea is laughed out of court etc, the idea is not accepted because people think it is completely stupid:
We can’t propose that! We’d be laughed out of court!
7. you have to laugh spoken used to say that, even though a situation is annoying or disappointing, you can also see that there is something funny about it
8. be laughing all the way to the bank informal to make a lot of money without making much effort
9. somebody will be laughing on the other side of their face spoken used to say that although someone is happy or confident now, they will be in trouble later
10. be laughing British English spoken informal to be happy or in a good situation, for example because something has had a successful result for you:
Well they paid me, didn’t they, so I’m laughing.
11. laugh in sb’s face to behave towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them:
I told my sister what I thought, and she just laughed in my face.
12. laugh up your sleeve to be secretly happy, especially because you have played a trick on someone or criticized them without them knowing
■ verbs
▪burst out laughing (=suddenly start laughing) She looked at him and burst out laughing.
▪make somebody laugh I like Ron, he makes me laugh.
▪begin/start to laugh He suddenly began to laugh.
▪want to laugh (=to feel like laughing, even though it might be more polite not to) He was so earnest that I wanted to laugh.
▪try not to laugh (=to not laugh, even though something is funny, because it would not be polite) ‘Are you all right?’ Amy said, trying not to laugh.
▪fall about laughing British English (=laugh a lot) He saw the look on my face and he just fell about laughing.
■ adverbs
▪laugh hysterically (=laugh so much that you cannot stop, because you find something extremely funny) The people at the next table were laughing hysterically at us.
▪laugh heartily especially written (=laugh a lot) Misha laughed heartily throughout the play.
▪laugh out loud/aloud (=laugh so that other people can hear you) Some parts of the book were so funny that they made me laugh out loud.
■ phrases
▪laugh your head off (=laugh a lot) The audience laughed its head off all the way through.
▪laugh till you cry/laugh till the tears run down your face He leaned back in his chair and laughed till the tears ran down his face.
▪ laugh to make sounds with your voice and move your face, because you think that something is funny: He looked so funny that we couldn’t stop laughing.
▪giggle to laugh quickly in a high voice, especially in a slightly silly way, or because you are nervous or embarrassed: A group of teenage girls were giggling in a corner. | She tends to giggle when she meets new people.
▪chuckle to laugh quietly, especially because you are thinking about or reading something funny: He was chuckling to himself over an article in the paper. | ‘We used to get up to all kinds of mischief.’ She chuckled at the memory.
▪snigger British English, snicker American English to laugh quietly in an unkind or unpleasant way, for example when someone is hurt or embarrassed: Billy stood up and started to sing, and one or two people sniggered.
▪titter to laugh quietly in a high voice, especially about something that is rude or about sex, or is embarrassing for someone: As a nation we love to titter over politicians’ sex scandals. | schoolboys tittering over a magazine
▪roar with laughter to laugh very loudly, especially with a deep voice: I could hear my father roaring with laughter at something on TV.
▪shriek with laughter to laugh very loudly, especially with a high voice: Patsy chased him down the stairs, shrieking with laughter.
▪howl with laughter to laugh very loudly – used especially about a group of people laughing together: His plays have made audiences howl with laughter.
▪in stitches laughing so much that you cannot stop: It was such a funny film – it had us all in stitches.
▪guffaw /ɡəˈfɔː $ -ˈfɒː/ to laugh very loudly and without trying to stop yourself: The audience guffawed at his nonstop jokes.
▪cackle to laugh loudly in an unpleasant way: The old woman cackled at the trouble she was causing.
laugh at somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to make unkind or funny remarks about someone, because they have done or said something you think is stupid
SYN tease:
I’m afraid the other kids will laugh at me because I don’t understand.
2. to seem not to care about something that most people would worry about:
Young offenders just laugh at this sort of sentence.
laugh something ↔ off phrasal verb
to pretend that something is less serious than it really is by laughing or joking about it:
Knox laughed off rumors that he would be running for mayor.
laugh2 S3 noun
He gave a short laugh.
with a laugh
‘What a mess!’ she said, with a laugh.
2. [countable] if something is a laugh, you have fun and enjoy yourself when you are doing it:
We all went to the beach last night – it was a really good laugh.
The other campers were nice, and we had a great laugh together.
It was a great holiday with lots of laughs.
3. somebody is a (good) laugh British English used to say that someone is amusing and fun to be with:
I like Peter – he’s a good laugh.
4. for laughs (also for a laugh British English) for fun:
We took the hot-air balloon ride, just for laughs.
5. that’s a laugh spoken used to say that something is silly or unlikely:
Me? Star in a film? That’s a laugh.
6. have the last laugh to finally be successful, win an argument etc, after other people have earlier criticized you, defeated you etc:
Men make jokes about women drivers, but women have the last laugh – their insurance rates are cheaper.
7. be a laugh a minute informal to be very funny – sometimes used humorously to mean that someone or something is not at all funny
■ verbs
▪give/let out a laugh She gave a loud laugh.
▪get a laugh (also draw a laugh British English written) (=be laughed at) Most of his jokes didn’t even get a laugh.
▪get a laugh out of somebody (=make someone laugh) I always managed to get a laugh out of my audience.
▪have a laugh about/at/over something (=laugh about something) The farmer had a good laugh at our attempts to catch the horse.
▪I could use a laugh (=I want to hear something funny to cheer me up) Tell me what she said - I could use a laugh.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + laugh
▪a good laugh We all got a good laugh out of it later.
▪a big laugh There was a big laugh from the crowd.
▪a short/little/small laugh He let out a nervous little laugh.
▪a loud/soft laugh He let out a loud laugh when he heard what had happened.
▪a belly laugh (=a deep loud laugh) It’s the kind of comedy that raises a smile rather than a belly laugh.
▪a hearty laugh (=a loud laugh that shows you really enjoyed something) With a hearty laugh, he began to tell the story.
▪a nervous laugh ‘Don’t be silly,’ she said with a nervous laugh.
| I |
verb Word Family: noun: laugh, laughter; adverb: laughably, laughingly; verb: laugh; adjective: laughable
Language: Old English
Origin: hliehhan
1. [intransitive] to make sounds with your voice, usually while you are smiling, because you think something is funny:Origin: hliehhan
laugh at/about
laugh heartily/uproariously/hysterically etc (=laugh a lot)
laugh your head off
2. [transitive] to say something in a voice that shows you are amused:
3. not know whether to laugh or cry to feel upset or annoyed about something bad that has happened, but also able to see that there is something funny about it:
4. don’t make me laugh spoken used when someone has just told you something that is completely untrue, asked for something impossible etc:
5. no laughing matter informal something serious that should not be joked about:
6. be laughed out of court (also be laughed out of town/business etc American English) if a person or idea is laughed out of court etc, the idea is not accepted because people think it is completely stupid:
7. you have to laugh spoken used to say that, even though a situation is annoying or disappointing, you can also see that there is something funny about it
8. be laughing all the way to the bank informal to make a lot of money without making much effort
9. somebody will be laughing on the other side of their face spoken used to say that although someone is happy or confident now, they will be in trouble later
10. be laughing British English spoken informal to be happy or in a good situation, for example because something has had a successful result for you:
11. laugh in sb’s face to behave towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them:
12. laugh up your sleeve to be secretly happy, especially because you have played a trick on someone or criticized them without them knowing
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laugh at somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to make unkind or funny remarks about someone, because they have done or said something you think is stupid
SYN tease:
2. to seem not to care about something that most people would worry about:
laugh something ↔ off phrasal verb
to pretend that something is less serious than it really is by laughing or joking about it:
| II |
noun Word Family: noun: laugh, laughter; adverb: laughably, laughingly; verb: laugh; adjective: laughable
1. [countable] the act of laughing or the sound you make when you laugh: with a laugh
2. [countable] if something is a laugh, you have fun and enjoy yourself when you are doing it:
3. somebody is a (good) laugh British English used to say that someone is amusing and fun to be with:
4. for laughs (also for a laugh British English) for fun:
5. that’s a laugh spoken used to say that something is silly or unlikely:
6. have the last laugh to finally be successful, win an argument etc, after other people have earlier criticized you, defeated you etc:
7. be a laugh a minute informal to be very funny – sometimes used humorously to mean that someone or something is not at all funny
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cackle to laugh in a loud, unpleasant way, especially in a high voice* cackle 指令人讨厌地嘎嘎大笑，尤指高声笑。 chuckle to laugh quietly, especially because you are thinking about something funny* chuckle 指轻声笑，尤指想到滑稽事时发笑。 giggle to laugh in a silly way because you are amused, embarrassed or nervous* giggle 指因开心、尴尬或紧张而傻笑。 guffaw to laugh noisily* guffaw 指哄笑、狂笑、大笑。 roar to laugh very loudly* roar 指放声大笑。 snigger /snicker to laugh in a quiet unpleasant way, especially at something rude or at someone's problems or mistakes* snigger/snicker 指窃笑、暗笑，尤指对无礼行为或因他人的问题或错误发笑。 titter to laugh quietly, especially in a nervous or embarrassed way* titter 指窃笑，尤指紧张或尴尬地笑。
often