laughing
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
The physical and vocal expression of amusement, joy, or scorn.
Experiencing or expressing merriment; also used to describe a situation or sound that evokes laughter.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily the -ing form of the verb 'laugh,' but commonly functions as a present participle, gerund, or participial adjective. It implies an active, ongoing state.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. The idiom 'be laughing' (meaning to be in a very favourable position) is more common in British English.
Connotations
Generally positive (amusement), but can be negative in contexts like 'laughing at someone' (mocking).
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
laughing at [someone/something]laughing with [someone]laughing about [something]laughing until [consequence]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “be laughing all the way to the bank”
- “no laughing matter”
- “laughing on the other side of one's face”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Informal: 'We'll be laughing if this deal goes through.'
Academic
Rare; used in literary analysis or psychology to describe a character's state or a social signal.
Everyday
Very common in social interactions and descriptions.
Technical
Used in phonetics to describe a type of vocalisation or in comedy studies.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They were laughing at the comedian's terrible impressions.
- I could hear her laughing on the phone.
American English
- We spent the whole car ride laughing about the incident.
- He couldn't stop laughing during the movie.
adjective
British English
- His laughing face was a welcome sight.
- We were met with a laughing crowd.
American English
- She has a very laughing demeanor.
- The laughing children ran through the park.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The baby is laughing.
- We are laughing at the funny cat.
- She walked away, laughing quietly to herself.
- I could hear laughing coming from the next room.
- Despite the tension, he managed to keep a laughing tone throughout his speech.
- Their laughing acceptance of the bad news was surprising.
- The sound of their laughing dissent echoed through the committee chamber.
- He delivered the devastating critique with a laughing, almost jovial, air.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
LAUGHING sounds like 'lapping' waves—both are continuous, pleasant sounds.
Conceptual Metaphor
JOY IS A FLUID (She was overflowing with laughter), MOCKERY IS A WEAPON (He was cut down by their laughing).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'смеющийся' for 'funny' (that's 'смешной'). 'Laughing' describes the action/state, not the property.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'laughing' (verb form) with 'funny' (adjective). Incorrect: 'That film was very laughing.' Correct: 'That film had us laughing.'
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'laughing' used as an adjective?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be both. As a present participle, it functions as part of a verb phrase ('She is laughing'). As a participial adjective, it describes a noun ('a laughing child').
'Laughing at' someone implies mockery. 'Laughing with' someone implies shared amusement and is friendly.
Yes, as a gerund. 'Her laughing was contagious' treats the action as a thing or concept.
Yes. 'Giggling' implies a lighter, often higher-pitched and sometimes nervous sound, frequently associated with children or mild amusement. 'Laughing' is the broader, more general term.