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laughing

laughing

1 1.0
Showing someone is smiling and making a happy sound
  • adjective
  • /ˈlæfɪŋ/
translation icon : risueño
  • And we look at each other and start laughing like I asked him.

Examples

  • She had a big smile on her face, clearly laughing at a funny joke.

  • And I, I mean, dude, we were laughing so hard.

  • And she immediately began laughing in my face.

  • Over the fields we go, laughing all the way.

  • OK, already I'm laughing like this is great.

  • I'm just living, laughing and loving on this app.

  • I mean, I'm laughing because it's like the opposite.

  • It kind of taught us how to keep laughing even through the dark times.

  • Within one hour they can be laughing and crying and raging.

  • Rhett and Link try laughing loud without smiling.

Synonyms

amused
vslaughing
18 1.0

Feeling pleased and finding something funny or entertaining

is broader, covering openly expressed and more intense joy as well
smiling
vslaughing
2 1.0

Having a smile that shows happiness or friendliness

is about open or audible joy rather than only a facial sign
mirthful
vslaughing
1 6.3

Full of joy and laughter

is milder, showing general happiness rather than intense joy
beaming
vslaughing
2.5

Smiling very widely and looking clearly happy

is broader, covering any open or audible joy not only radiant smiles
riant
vslaughing
  • Literature
9.9

Being happy and smiling

is more general, including stronger or more openly expressed joy too

Antonyms

18 3.9

Feeling deep sadness because of a loss

14 3.6

Feeling very sad because of loss or disappointment

Idioms

7.7

All the time feeling amused and making happy sounds

Compounds

laughing gas
  • Specialized
4 4.0

A gas with no color that dentists give to patients to breathe so they relax and sometimes laugh

laughing gear
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person's mouth and their ability to speak or make happy sounds

laughing hyena
  • South African
1 6.1

A large African animal with spots that makes a laugh-like call

6.4

A medium-sized sea bird with a black head in summer that makes a loud call like a laugh

9.9

A nearly extinct New Zealand owl with a loud call that sounds like laughter

9.9

A large Australian kingfisher with a loud call that sounds like laughter

laughing owl
  • New Zealand
9.9

An almost extinct New Zealand owl with a loud laughing call

A person's special laugh that makes other people smile

How Amused

laughing
1 1.0
to chuckle
237 2.0
smiling
1 1.0

Surface Forms

laughing positive

Morphology

laughing = laugh (transparent) = laugh + ing

A direct participial/adjectival form of the verb 'laugh' using the productive '-ing' suffix; learners who know 'laugh' will readily infer 'laughing' as expressing laughter.

Etymology

The word laughing comes from an old English word laugh meaning 'to make a happy sound' and it is the same root as laughter. So a laughing face or person is one who shows that happy sound or feeling, which is why laughing means showing joy and happiness.