Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - laugh

(laughs, laughing, laughed) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When you laugh, you make a sound with your throat while smiling and show that you are happy or amused. People also sometimes laugh when they feel nervous or are being unfriendly. He was about to offer an explanation, but she was beginning to laugh... He laughed with pleasure when people said he looked like his dad... The British don’t laugh at the same jokes as the French... ‘I’ll be astonished if I win on Sunday,’ laughed Lyle. VERB: V, V with n, V at n, V with quote • Laugh is also a noun. Lysenko gave a deep rumbling laugh at his own joke. N-COUNT 2. If people laugh at someone or something, they mock them or make jokes about them. I thought they were laughing at me because I was ugly... VERB: V at n 3. If you do something for a laugh or for laughs, you do it as a joke or for fun. They were persuaded onstage for a laugh by their mates... It’s a project she’s doing for laughs. PHRASE: PHR with v 4. If a person or their comment gets a laugh or raises a laugh, they make the people listening to them laugh. (mainly BRIT) The joke got a big laugh, which encouraged me to continue. PHRASE: V inflects 5. If you describe a situation as a laugh, a good laugh, or a bit of a laugh, you think that it is fun and do not take it too seriously. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL) Working there’s great. It’s quite a good laugh actually... PHRASE: v-link PHR 6. If you describe someone as a laugh or a good laugh, you like them because they are amusing and fun to be with. (mainly BRIT) Mickey was a good laugh and great to have in the dressing room. PHRASE: v-link PHR 7. If you say that you have the last laugh, you mean that you become successful at something so that people who criticize or oppose you look foolish. Des O’Connor is expecting to have the last laugh on his critics by soaring to the top of the Christmas hit parade. PHRASE: V inflects 8. to laugh your head off: see head no laughing matter: see matter