We use the word ‘laugh’ commonly in English, yet there are many other different words you can use instead to be more specific and make your writing more interesting.
Here are some synonyms for ‘laugh’ when used as a verb:
be in stitches(informal)
The audience was in stitches when the clown came on.
chortle
He chortled quietly to himself.
chuckle
Jojo chuckled at the thought of her brother covered in mud.
crease up(informal)
Mum creased up when she first saw Dad in his long shorts.
giggle
As usual, the twins were giggling at the back of the class.
guffaw
The colonel guffawed loudly during the performance.
snigger
I sniggered when my brother fell.
titter
She tittered weakly at the joke.
Many of these synonyms can also be used when ‘laugh’ is used as a noun:
chuckle
We could hardly suppress our chuckles.
giggle
My sister has an infectious giggle.
guffaw
The professor let out a guffaw at the student’s remark.
roar of laughter
You could hear the roar of laughter from outside the theatre.
shriek of laughter
As soon as he came in, there was a shriek of laughter from the kids.
snigger
Karim was having a quiet snigger at the back of the class.
titter
The girl gave a titter of embarrassment when she saw me.
Look at the Thesaurus entry for laugh to find other synonyms and examples.
All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.
Some phrasal verbs are a combination of the verb + adverb and verb + preposition phrasal verbs. All the parts of this type of phrasal verb come BEFORE the object. We are looking forward to our holiday. Don’t put up with it! You must look out for the warning signs. I’m so fed up with city life. Phrasal verbs with… Read More
Some verb + preposition phrasal verbs always have an object. This is because prepositions always have an object. He asked for his bill. She listened to him. They referred to our conversation. Some phrasal verbs with prepositions are: add to, agree with, approve of, ask for, believe in, care for, hope for, laugh at, look for, refer to,… Read More
Some verb + adverb phrasal verbs have no object, i.e. they are intransitive, for example, get up, go away, hold on: Mary went away. Helen sat down. The students came back. Others do require an object, i.e. they are transitive, for example, blow something up, close something down, pick someone up: We could make out a figure in the distance. Read More
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Read our cookie policy
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.