laugh

1 verb

1 MAKE SOUND (I) to make the sounds and movements of the face that people make when they think something is funny: Jonathan kept pulling funny faces at me, and I couldn't stop laughing.

(+ at/about): I couldn't understand why they were all laughing at me. | burst out laughing (=suddenly start laughing): When we saw what had happened to the cake we burst out laughing. | laugh your head off (=laugh loudly and a lot) | laugh out loud (=suddenly laugh loudly)

2 SPEAK (T) to say something in a voice that shows you are amused: "You look ridiculous!" Nick laughed.

3 be laughing spoken to be happy or in a good situation, for example because something has had a successful result for you: Well they paid me, didn't they, so I'm laughing.

4 don't make me laugh spoken used when someone has just told you something that is completely untrue, asked for something impossible etc: "Do you think we'll finish this today?" "Don't make me laugh."

5 no laughing matter informal something serious that should not be joked about: Losing your job is no laughing matter.

6 be laughing all the way to the bank informal to be in a good situation because you have made a lot of money without making much effort

7 be laughed out of court especially BrE if a person or idea is laughed out of court, the idea is not accepted because people think it is completely stupid: We can't propose that! We'd be laughed out of court!

8 sb will be laughing on the other side of their face spoken used unkindly to mean that although someone is happy or confident now, they will be in trouble or in difficulty later

9 laughing stock someone who has done something so stupid that everyone laughs at them: He was the laughing stock of the school!

10 not know whether to laugh or cry to feel upset or annoyed by something bad or unlucky that has happened: And when I couldn't find the passports - honestly, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

11 you have to laugh spoken used to say that, even though a situation is annoying or disappointing, you can also see that there is something funny about it

12 laugh in sb's face to behave towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them or care about what they think: I asked them not to park in front of my garage, but they just laughed in my face.

13 laugh up your sleeve to be secretly happy, especially because you have played a trick on someone or criticized them without them knowing

laugh at sb/sth phrasal verb (T)

1 to treat someone or something as if they are stupid, by laughing or making funny and unkind remarks about them: I can't go to school wearing that - everyone'll laugh at me.

2 to seem not to care about something that most people would worry about: Young offenders just laugh at this sort of sentence.

laugh sth off phrasal verb (T) to pretend that something is less serious than it really is by laughing or joking about it: I tried to tell him he was drinking too much but he just laughed it off. 2 noun (C)

1 the sound you make when you laugh: a nervous laugh | give a laugh: She gave a little laugh and squeezed my arm.

2 have a (good) laugh BrE

a) informal to have fun and enjoy yourself: We always have a good laugh when Kevin comes to stay.

b) to laugh about something in a happy way with other people: It was a nightmare at the time, but afterwards we all had a good laugh about it.

3 be a (good) laugh BrE informal

a) to be amusing and fun to be with: I hope Sarah comes - she's a real laugh.

b) if an occasion, activity etc is a good laugh, you enjoy yourself and have fun: We all went to the beach last night - it was a really good laugh.

4 do sth for a laugh BrE informal to do something because you think it will be fun, not for a serious reason

5 have the last laugh to be successful, win an argument etc in the end, after other people have criticized you, defeated you etc earlier

6 be a laugh a minute informal to be very funny, cheerful, and amusing; sometimes used humorously to mean the opposite