laughter
B1Neutral to formal; can be used in all registers.
Definition
Meaning
The action or sound of laughing.
The expression of amusement, joy, or scorn by laughing; the quality of being amusing or causing laughter; the convulsive sound produced by the action of laughing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
An uncountable noun (mass noun) referring to the general phenomenon or sound of laughing. The plural 'laughters' is archaic and extremely rare in modern English, used only in very specific poetic or philosophical contexts to mean 'types of laughter'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage or meaning. Pronunciation differs (see IPA).
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
laughter + from + (person/group)laughter + at + (joke/situation)laughter + over + (shared memory)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “laughter is the best medicine”
- “die of laughter”
- “the last laugh”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically, e.g., 'Our competitors will have the last laugh if we don't innovate.'
Academic
Used in literary studies, psychology, sociology, and anthropology texts to discuss human behaviour, comedy, or social bonding.
Everyday
Common in describing reactions, e.g., 'His joke was met with loud laughter.'
Technical
In phonetics/linguistics: analysis of laughter as a vocalisation or paralinguistic feature.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- He had a laughter-filled afternoon.
- The film created a laughter-inducing scene.
American English
- It was a laughter-filled afternoon.
- She told a laughter-inducing story.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We heard laughter from the next room.
- Children's laughter is a happy sound.
- She tried to hide her laughter.
- The comedian's joke caused loud laughter in the audience.
- Their laughter could be heard down the hall.
- There was nervous laughter after his strange comment.
- A sudden peal of laughter erupted from the kitchen.
- The film was a comedy, yet it evoked more thoughtful silence than raucous laughter.
- She dissolved into uncontrollable laughter at the memory.
- The essay explored the cathartic role of communal laughter in times of crisis.
- His laughter, though seemingly genuine, carried a subtle undercurrent of scorn.
- The play masterfully shifted the audience's laughter from derision to empathetic connection.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'laughter' as what comes AFTER you hear a 'laugh'.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAUGHTER IS A LIQUID/FORCE (e.g., 'waves of laughter', 'burst with laughter', 'laughter filled the room').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Russian "смех" is a direct translation but be careful with false friends: "laughter" is NOT "дочка" (daughter).
- Avoid using "laughters" as a countable plural; it's almost always uncountable.
- Remember the spelling: 'augh' not 'ough'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect spelling: *laughther, *laugher (a laugher is a person who laughs).
- Treating it as a countable noun (e.g., *many laughters).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the standard, uncountable usage of 'laughter'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Laughter is almost always an uncountable (mass) noun. You cannot say 'one laughter, two laughters'. You say 'a lot of laughter' or 'peals of laughter'.
'Laugh' is often a countable noun referring to a single instance or sound (e.g., 'She gave a little laugh'). 'Laughter' is the uncountable noun for the general action, sound, or phenomenon (e.g., 'The sound of laughter').
In British English, the vowel is a long /ɑː/ as in 'bath'. In American English, it's a short /æ/ as in 'cat'. So: UK /ˈlɑːftə/, US /ˈlæftər/.
No. 'Laughter' is only a noun. The related verb is 'to laugh'.