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Glite Dictionary
to laugh off

to laugh off

3 4.2
Treat a problem or criticism as not important by joking about it
  • phrasal verb
  • /læf ɔf/
  • Informal
translation icon : restar importancia
  • And I, you know, I sort of wanted to laugh it off, but she was so intense about it, it actually freaked me out a bit.
  • just laughs off
  • try to laugh off
  • laughs off the idea

Do you think after the fight, there's going to be a moment where they shake hands, they laugh it off, OK, we'll leave the lawsuit.

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Examples

  • Minutes after PMQs, Tory MP Rob Wilson was on Sky News appearing to laugh off Watson's claims.

    Blog text (33)

  • Let's just laugh it off and move on.

    Toxic Skies (2008)

  • When a statement has no truth to it, everyone just laughs it off and thinks, "How stupid is that?"

    Blog text (33)

  • And he just replied, own it, laugh it off, go with it, own it.

  • We don't laugh off these things.

    Suburbicon (2017)

  • Keselowski laughs off those questions as if he's been through this all before.

    Blog text (17)

  • TAMPA (CBS TAMPA) -- Clint Eastwood laughed off the seriousness surrounding much of the discussion about his memorable RNC speech.

    Blog text (3)

  • When someone makes a silly mistake, it's best to just laugh off the situation and not take it too seriously.

  • After she fell on stage, she decided to laugh off the embarrassment and keep performing.

  • He tried to laugh off the criticism he received, pretending it didn't bother him at all.

Synonyms

to joke
vsto laugh off
476 1.0

To say or do something to make people laugh

applies this humour specifically to minimise problems or embarrassment
to laugh at
vsto laugh off
  • Offensive
456 2.0

To make fun of someone in a mean way to show they are silly

aims instead to reduce a problem's importance by joking or pretending amusement
to joke about
vsto laugh off
80 2.9

Say something funny, often unkind, about someone or something

uses such remarks specifically to make a problem seem less important
to scoff
vsto laugh off
57 6.5

To say or do things to show you do not respect someone

instead seeks to lessen hurt or criticism through joking not contempt
to laugh it off
vsto laugh off
  • Informal
20 4.2

To make a joke about something embarrassing to show it is not important

has identical meaning but uses a fuller phrase with a pronoun
to crack a joke
vsto laugh off
  • Informal
10 2.9

Tell a joke to make people laugh

uses brief remarks specifically to dismiss a problem or awkwardness
to pass off
vsto laugh off
2 4.1

To treat criticism or an insult as not important

does this specifically by making jokes or pretending amusement
to laugh away
vsto laugh off
1 4.6

To make a problem seem unimportant by joking about it

emphasises downplaying by often pretending to be amused
to make game of
vsto laugh off
  • Offensive
8.0

Laugh at someone or treat something serious as a joke

downplays seriousness instead by using light joking rather than harsh mockery

Antonyms

to take to heart
  • Informal
33 4.5

To feel very upset or moved by what others say

How Dismissive

to dismiss
332 3.0
to brush off
  • Informal
22 3.9
to laugh off
  • Informal
3 4.2
to play down
16 4.3

Surface Forms

laugh off infinitive
laughed off past
laughed off past participle
laughing off present participle
laughs off third person singular

Morphology

laugh + off

The verb 'laugh' (show amusement) combined with the particle 'off' (indicating dismissal or removal) yields a meaning that can be interpreted as dismissing or minimizing something by laughing, so a learner who knows the parts can often infer the sense. However, the sense is somewhat metaphorical and depends on knowledge of phrasal-verb particle semantics (which vary cross-linguistically), so it is not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Laugh off gives the picture of someone facing a problem and laughing to push it away, with laugh as the action and off showing it being sent away. That's why it means 'to make a problem or criticism seem not important'.