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laughter
" Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain."
Charlie Chaplin

Meaning of "laughter" in the English dictionary

DICTIONARY

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD LAUGHTER

Old English hleahtor; related to Old Norse hlātr.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF LAUGHTER

ˈlɑːftə


GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF LAUGHTER

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Laughter is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES LAUGHTER MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Laughter

Laughing is a physical reaction in humans, consisting typically of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter can arise from such activities as being tickled, or from humorous stories or thoughts. Most commonly, it is considered a visual expression of a number of positive emotional states, such as joy, mirth, happiness, relief, etc. On some occasions, however, it may be caused by contrary emotional states such as embarrassment, apology, or confusion or courtesy laugh. Factors such as age, gender, education, language, and culture are determinant factors as to whether a person will experience laughter in a given situation. Laughter is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group — it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seen as contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback.

Definition of laughter in the English dictionary

The definition of laughter in the dictionary is the action of or noise produced by laughing. Other definition of laughter is the experience or manifestation of mirth, amusement, scorn, or joy.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH LAUGHTER

after · crafter · drafter · draughter · grafter · hafter · handicrafter · hereafter · hereinafter · looked-after · rafter · shafter · thereafter · thereinafter · wafter · whereafter

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE LAUGHTER

laugh up one´s sleeve · laughable · laughableness · laughably · laugher · laughful · laughing · laughing gas · laughing hyena · laughing jackass · laughing matter · laughing stock · laughingly · laughline · laughsome · laughter club · laughter line · Laughton · laughworthy · laughy

WORDS THAT END LIKE LAUGHTER

all-nighter · cigarette lighter · daughter · fighter · firefighter · freedom fighter · freighter · gas lighter · granddaughter · great-granddaughter · highlighter · involuntary manslaughter · jet fighter · lighter · manslaughter · overnighter · prizefighter · Richter · righter · slaughter · stepdaughter

Synonyms and antonyms of laughter in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «LAUGHTER»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «laughter» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «laughter» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR

TRANSLATION OF LAUGHTER

Find out the translation of laughter to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of laughter from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «laughter» in English.
zh

Translator English - Chinese

笑声
1,325 millions of speakers
es

Translator English - Spanish

risas
570 millions of speakers
en

English

laughter
510 millions of speakers
hi

Translator English - Hindi

हँसी
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

ضَحِكٌ
280 millions of speakers
ru

Translator English - Russian

смех
278 millions of speakers
pt

Translator English - Portuguese

risada
270 millions of speakers
bn

Translator English - Bengali

হাসি
260 millions of speakers
fr

Translator English - French

rire
220 millions of speakers
ms

Translator English - Malay

Ketawa
190 millions of speakers
de

Translator English - German

Gelächter
180 millions of speakers
ja

Translator English - Japanese

笑い声
130 millions of speakers
ko

Translator English - Korean

웃음
85 millions of speakers
jv

Translator English - Javanese

Ngguyu
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

tiếng cười
80 millions of speakers
ta

Translator English - Tamil

சிரிப்பு
75 millions of speakers
mr

Translator English - Marathi

हशा
75 millions of speakers
tr

Translator English - Turkish

kahkaha
70 millions of speakers
it

Translator English - Italian

ridere
65 millions of speakers
pl

Translator English - Polish

śmiech
50 millions of speakers
uk

Translator English - Ukrainian

регіт
40 millions of speakers
ro

Translator English - Romanian

râset
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

γέλιο
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

lag
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

skratt
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

munterhet
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of laughter

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «LAUGHTER»

Principal search tendencies and common uses of laughter
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «laughter».

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about laughter

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «LAUGHTER»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word laughter.
1
Alan Alda
In the midst of the sense of tragedy or loss, sometimes laughter is not only healing, it's a way of experiencing the person that you've lost again.
2
Max Beerbohm
Nobody ever died of laughter.
3
Albert Brooks
I think anger and laughter are very close to each other, when you think about it.
4
Eileen Caddy
Let there be more joy and laughter in your living.
5
Lewis Carroll
While the laughter of joy is in full harmony with our deeper life, the laughter of amusement should be kept apart from it. The danger is too great of thus learning to look at solemn things in a spirit of mockery, and to seek in them opportunities for exercising wit.
6
Jasper Carrott
Laughter is the best medicine - unless you're diabetic, then insulin comes pretty high on the list.
7
Charlie Chaplin
Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain.
8
Malcolm de Chazal
Laughter is regional: a smile extends over the whole face.
9
John Davidson
I don't know why people are so surprised by my live performances. My approach is so simple; every song I sing, every story I tell, every move I make, must move the audience to laughter, tears or inspiration. Otherwise, why should I do it?
10
Felix Dennis
Discourse has ended in America. It's all just shouting and ranting and demonization. Do you know how the rest of the world laughs at you guys? Have you got any idea? They're just rocking with laughter night and day.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «LAUGHTER»

Discover the use of laughter in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to laughter and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting: A Novel
Rich in its stories, characters, and imaginative range, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is the novel that brought Milan Kundera his first big international success in the late 1970s.
Milan Kundera, 1999
2
Not Without Laughter
This stirring coming-of-age tale unfolds in 1930s rural Kansas. A poignant portrait of African-American family life in the early twentieth century, it follows the story of young Sandy Rogers as he grows from a boy to a man.
Langston Hughes, 2012
3
Laughter: A Scientific Investigation
This is an erudite, wide-ranging, witty, and long-overdue exploration of a frequently surprising subject.
Robert R. Provine, 2001
4
Laughter: The Secret of Good Health
Which is why Danish pianist Victor Borge had quipped: Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.This book is replete with humorous one-liners, quips, quotes and anecdotes that will have you rolling with laughter.The book also ...
S.P. Sharma, 2002
5
Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of Comic
What does laughter mean?
Henri Bergson, 2008
6
Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic
Please visit www.ArcManor.com for other works by this and other great authors.
Henri Bergson, 2008
7
Life, Love, Laughter: Celebrating Your Existence
In this artful work, Osho mixes entertainment and inspiration, ancient Zen stories and contemporary jokes to help us to find love, laughter, and ultimately, happiness. Life, Love, Laughter includes an original talk by Osho on DVD.
Osho, 2009
8
Laughter: Notes on a Passion
Uncovering an archive of laughter, from the forbidden giggle to the explosive guffaw.
Anca Parvulescu, 2010
9
A History of English Laughter: Laughter from Beowulf to ...
The contributors to this collection of essays believe that laughter does have a history and try to identify continuities and turning points of this history by studying a series of English texts, both canonical and non-canonical, from ...
Manfred Pfister, 2002
10
Tears and Laughter
This classic work showcases the early brilliance and philosophical foundation of Kahlil Gibran, one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet and one of the twentieth century’s most ...
Kahlil Gibran, Martin L. Wolf, 2011

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «LAUGHTER»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term laughter is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Hospital's 'Laugh Cafe' For Seniors Proves That Laughter Is The …
"I had heard about the health benefits of laughter yoga so I informally surveyed my favorite jokester members," Senior Association director Marti ... «Huffington Post, Jul 15»
2
Video: Spectator misses her chair, Joe Root bursts into laughter
Video: Spectator misses her chair, Joe Root bursts into laughter. With England toiling hard on the field, the incident distracted the bowler Joe ... «The Indian Express, Jul 15»
3
It's victory for comedian Alan in the laughter wars - Halifax Courier
Comedian Alan Davies can certainly claim to have foundthe winning formula with his 'Little Victories' tour. In 2014 the 55-date UK tour was a ... «Halifax Evening Courier, Jul 15»
4
Review: Tears and laughter from the other side at Tiverton …
The room is full of people who look a mixture of nervous, excited and wide-eyed as clairvoyant medium Steve Holbrook stands in front of the ... «Tiverton Mid Devon Gazette, Jul 15»
5
[Herald Review] 'Chicago' induces unapologetic laughter at lust …
One of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history, “Chicago” has made its way back to Seoul with an American cast who brilliantly ... «The Korea Herald, Jul 15»
6
Ashes 2015: Mitchell Johnson kills the laughter with short but …
There were more strains of laughter when he conceded 100 runs without a wicket in Cardiff, where he acknowledged the ironic applause by ... «The Independent, Jul 15»
7
A reminder that laughter is the best medicine - Kokomo Tribune …
Instead of being weighed down with the situations in our life and seeing them as burdens, through laughter, we can see them as opportunities. «Kokomo Tribune, Jul 15»
8
Laughter is Best Medicine comedy night benefits SalusCare
This Saturday night, SalusCare will be hosting its first Laughter is the Best Medicine comedy night fundraiser at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art ... «The News-Press, Jul 15»
9
Laughing away the 'Big C' blues | Inquirer News
GUFFAW GURU Pinoy Laughter Yoga founder Paolo Trinidad (right) presides over a not-so-serious session with cancer patients on Saturday. «Inquirer.net, Jul 15»
10
Nerdgirl: Take page from Gaige, laughter is best medicine
When does a feature story become breaking news? My answer: feedback. Immediacy. Celebrity ties. (Not necessarily in that order.) It's been a ... «Florida Today, Jul 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Laughter [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/laughter>. May 2024 ».
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