4
general::
verb ADV. aloud, loudly, out loud It looked so funny that I almost laughed out loud. | gently, lightly, quietly, softly, silently, under your breath | deeply, heartily, a lot, really, uproariously He laughed heartily at his own joke. | just, merely, simply I thought she would be angry but she just laughed. | almost | briefly, a little, shortly | suddenly | easily, freely She smiles and laughs easily. | openly, outright | helplessly, uncontrollably | cheerfully, delightedly, excitedly, happily | hysterically, nervously | politely | incredulously, in disbelief | angrily, bitterly, cynically, derisively, grimly, harshly, hollowly, humourlessly, mirthlessly, ruefully, scornfully, sourly, wryly He realized how he had been fooled, and laughed bitterly. | together talking and laughing together VERB + LAUGH have to, want to He looked so funny I just had to laugh. | begin to, start to | try not to I was watching them and trying not to laugh. | make sb He pulled a funny face to make us laugh. | hear sb I heard him suddenly laugh aloud. PREP. about Tomorrow you'll be able to laugh about this. | at The audience laughed at her jokes. | with talking and laughing with the children Trent almost laughed with relief. PHRASES burst out laughing, can't/couldn't help/stop laughing She was telling us jokes and we couldn't stop laughing. | fall about laughing It was so funny we just fell about laughing. | find yourself laughing He laughed, and she found herself laughing with him. | stop laughing, noun sound/act of laughing ADJ. loud | light, little, short, slight, small | low | big, good, great The last joke got the biggest laugh. | belly, booming, hearty | barking, cackling, harsh, husky, throaty | silvery, tinkling | amused, delighted | embarrassed, nervous, shaky | polite | bitter, brittle, cynical, derisive, dry, forced, hollow, humourless, mirthless, mocking, rueful, scornful She forced a humourless laugh. | infectious VERB + LAUGH give, let out, utter He gave a short, amused laugh. | have | force, manage | enjoy, like He enjoys a good laugh. | get, raise Few of his jokes got a laugh. She got a laugh out of Jack. | hear LAUGH + VERB escape sb A small laugh escaped her. PREP. for a ~ She dyed her hair green just for a laugh. | with a ~ He left the room with a cynical laugh. | ~ about/at We all had a great laugh about it afterwards. PHRASES be good for a laugh Paul's always good for a laugh (= always amusing). | have the last laugh We'll have the last laugh if she finds out that you're the one who played the trick. | a laugh at sb's expense Oh yes, very funny?have your laugh at my expense! | the laugh is on sb (= sb looks ridiculous after they have tried to make fun of sb else) sb/sth that is amusing ADJ. good, real PHRASES a barrel of laughs, a bit of a laugh, a laugh a minute (= very funny)
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
5
general::
laugh
to make sounds with your voice and move your face, because you think that something is funny:
• He looked so funny that we couldn’t stop laughing.
giggle
to laugh quickly in a high voice, especially in a slightly silly way, or because you are nervous or embarrassed:
• A group of teenage girls were giggling in a corner. • She tends to giggle when she meets new people.
chuckle
to laugh quietly, especially because you are thinking about or reading something funny:
• He was chuckling to himself over an article in the paper. • ‘We used to get up to all kinds of mischief.’ She chuckled at the memory.
snigger
British English , snicker American English to laugh quietly in an unkind or unpleasant way, for example when someone is hurt or embarrassed:
• Billy stood up and started to sing, and one or two people sniggered.
titter
to laugh quietly in a high voice, especially about something that is rude or about sex, or is embarrassing for someone:
• As a nation we love to titter over politicians’ sex scandals. • schoolboys tittering over a magazine
roar with laughter
to laugh very loudly, especially with a deep voice:
• I could hear my father roaring with laughter at something on TV.
shriek with laughter
to laugh very loudly, especially with a high voice:
• Patsy chased him down the stairs, shrieking with laughter.
howl with laughter
to laugh very loudly – used especially about a group of people laughing together:
• His plays have made audiences howl with laughter.
in stitches
laughing so much that you cannot stop:
• It was such a funny film – it had us all in stitches.
guffaw
to laugh very loudly and without trying to stop yourself:
• The audience guffawed at his nonstop jokes.
cackle
to laugh loudly in an unpleasant way:
• The old woman cackled at the trouble she was causing.
Longman-Thesaurus