belly laugh
4
2.9
- noun
- /ˈbɛli læf/
:
risa de barriga
- Tor spits out water, then lets out a hearty belly laugh.
- a hearty belly laugh
- a big belly laugh
- a deep belly laugh
Examples
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Everyone loved him, his infectious spirit and great belly laugh.
Blog text (27) -
So far, I counted nine smiles, two belly laughs and five chuckles.
-
My friends at the L.A. Daily News gave me my biggest belly laugh of the day with this headline.
Blog text (19) -
You're not afraid of a big belly laugh every now and again, huh?
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I got a good belly laugh out of this quick recap.
Blog text (26) -
Heather didn't catch it, and he burst into a belly laugh.
Fiction book (1998) -
Father McNulty belly laughs so hard this time that he slides off his chair, hitting his chin on the edge of his desk.
Fiction book (1999) -
He lets out a belly laugh as the shocked nun runs from the office.
Fiction book (1999) -
I got a deep belly laugh when Ed Schultz sent his aide out for Maalox between commercials from the spin room.
Blog text (21) -
During the comedy show, the audience erupted in loud belly laughs at the hilarious jokes.
Synonyms
10
2.5
A loud, happy sound people make when something is very funny
7
6.1
A sudden, loud laugh that bursts out
2
2.7
A loud, warm laugh that shows real happiness
1
3.2
A very loud sound made by many people when they find something funny
Very loud laughter that makes your body shake
Antonyms
How Loud
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a loud, deep, and hearty burst of laughter' is directly derivable from combining 'belly' (stomach) with 'laugh' — the image of laughter coming from the belly signals depth and heartiness. This body-part + action composition is a common and transparent metaphor across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Belly laugh comes from the picture of a laugh that seems to come from the belly, your stomach, and makes your whole body shake. That's why it means 'a loud, deep, hearty' laugh.