laughter

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈlæftɚ/ UK /ˈlɑːftə/ See IPA manual

Freq #1043

Meanings

1

noun
The act or sound of laughing.

The room filled with laughter at his joke.
2

noun
A reason or cause for amusement.

The whole mix-up became a source of laughter for years afterward.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act or sound of laughing. laugh

Word family

Forms laughters

Derived forms clapterhorselaughterlack-laughterlaughterfullaughterlesslaughtersomeprelaughterunderlaughter

Related forms laugh smile

Appears in

Phrases (6)

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canned laughter
recorded laughter added to a program to suggest an audience's reaction

Adjective + noun
uncontrollable laughter
laughing that a person cannot stop or hold back

Adjective + noun
convulsive laughter
laughter that comes in sudden, forceful bursts and is difficult to control

Adjective + noun
derisive laughter
laughter that expresses contempt or makes fun of someone

Adjective + noun
joyous laughter
Laughter that expresses strong happiness.

Adjective + noun
unrestrained laughter
laughing freely without trying to hold it back

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

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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.

laughter Middle English hleahtor Old English *hlahtraz Proto-Germanic *klek- Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# laughter

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈlæftɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈlɑːftə/
**Frequency rank:** 1043

## Meanings
1. The act or sound of laughing.
2. A reason or cause for amusement.

## Examples
- The room filled with laughter at his joke.
- The whole mix-up became a source of laughter for years afterward.

## Synonyms
- laugh

## Derived Forms
- clapter
- horselaughter
- lack-laughter
- laughterful
- laughterless
- laughtersome
- prelaughter
- underlaughter

## Related Forms
- laugh
- smile

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: laughter
- Root: hleahtor
- Root: *hlahtraz
- Root: *klek-

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Laughter comes 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.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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