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general::
noun ADJ. helpless, hysterical, loud, raucous, wild I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs. | delighted, happy | infectious Her infectious laughter had everyone smiling. | nervous | silent, suppressed She was bent over with suppressed laughter. | derisive, mocking QUANT. bellow, hoot, howl, roar, shriek, snort He gave a sudden bellow of laughter. | fit Everyone dissolved into fits of laughter when they saw my haircut. | gale, peal, ripple His suggestion was greeted with peals of laughter. A ripple of laughter ran round the room. VERB + LAUGHTER burst into, dissolve into/with, explode with | bellow with, cackle with, hoot with, howl with, roar with, scream with, shriek with, snort with, whoop with, yell with | rock with, shake with
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
laughter
verbs
burst into laughter
(= suddenly start laughing )
• Flora burst into laughter when I told her the joke.
roar with laughter
(= laugh very noisily )
• The crowd roared with laughter.
scream/shriek with laughter
(= laugh very noisily and with a high voice )
• The children shrieked with laughter as they watched the clown.
shake with laughter
• They were shaking with laughter and couldn't even speak.
meet/greet something with laughter
(= react to something by laughing )
• Her remarks were greeted with mocking laughter.
the laughter dies (down)
(= stops )
• The laughter died instantly as Robert walked in.
phrases
peals/hoots/gales of laughter
(= a lot of loud laughter )
• This idea was greeted with hoots of laughter.
a fit of laughter
(= a period in which you laugh uncontrollably )
• Her funny stories had us in fits of laughter.
a burst of laughter
(= a short period of loud laughter )
• There was a loud burst of laughter behind me.
adjectives
hysterical laughter
(= laughter that is out of control because someone is very excited, nervous etc )
• She burst into hysterical laughter.
helpless laughter
(= that someone cannot control )
• The audience were in fits of helpless laughter.
nervous laughter
(= because someone is nervous and not sure how to react )
• Nervous laughter greeted her remarks.
raucous laughter
(= loud and rough-sounding )
• His attempt to explain was greeted with raucous laughter.
suppressed laughter
(= when someone tries not to laugh )
• He began to shake with suppressed laughter.
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