laugher
UncommonInformal (for the sports/competition meaning); Neutral (for the person who laughs)
Definition
Meaning
A person who laughs; someone who is laughing.
An easy victory in sports or other competitions, especially one so decisive it becomes humorous or enjoyable for the winners.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a person, a 'laugher' often has a descriptive quality (e.g., a *good laugher*, a *loud laugher*). The sports meaning is metonymic, deriving from the idea that the winning team can afford to laugh or that the contest is a joke.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The meaning of 'an easy victory' is more established and common in American sports journalism and commentary.
Connotations
In American English, describing a game as a 'laugher' carries a strong connotation of it being a non-serious, one-sided affair. In British English, the word is more likely to be understood as simply 'one who laughs'.
Frequency
The 'easy victory' sense is infrequent in British English, where terms like 'walkover' or 'whitewash' are more common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[determiner] + laugher (a real laugher)[adjective] + laugher (an easy laugher)subject of 'be' (The game was a laugher.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It was a laugher from the start.”
- “The game turned into a laugher by the third inning.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used; might appear informally to describe an extremely easy deal or negotiation.
Academic
Extremely rare, unless in a literary or psychological analysis of laughter.
Everyday
Used to describe a person with a distinctive laugh or, in US contexts, an extremely easy win in a game.
Technical
Not used in technical registers.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is a happy child and a good laugher.
- I am a loud laugher when I watch funny films.
- My uncle is the best laugher; his laugh makes everyone else smile.
- The final score was 8-0; it was a real laugher.
- Despite the tension, he remained a steady laugher throughout the comedy show.
- What was predicted to be a close match turned into a complete laugher by half-time.
- His reputation as a cynical critic belied the fact that he was an easy and generous laugher in private company.
- The corporate softball game became a merciless laugher, with the marketing department winning 25-2.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A LAUGHer is either a person who LAUGHs, or a game so easy it makes the winners LAUGH.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN EASY VICTORY IS A JOKE / IS HUMOROUS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'laughter' (смех). 'Laugher' refers to the person or the event, not the abstract act.
- The sports meaning has no direct single-word equivalent; periphrases like 'разгромная победа' or 'лёгкая победа' are needed.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'laugher' as a synonym for 'laughter' (e.g., 'We could hear the laugher from outside' - incorrect).
- Spelling confusion: 'laffter' or 'lagher'.
- Overusing the sports meaning in non-sporting contexts or in British English.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'laugher' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is relatively uncommon. The more common noun from 'laugh' is 'laughter'. 'Laugher' is used in specific descriptive or informal sporting contexts.
No, that is the meaning of 'laughter'. 'Laugher' almost always refers to an entity (a person or an event), not the sound itself.
No, it is informal and primarily used in journalism and casual commentary, especially in American English.
'Laughter' is an uncountable noun for the act or sound of laughing. 'Laugher' is a countable noun for a person who laughs, or an event that provokes laughter due to its one-sided nature.