15 different ways to describe laughter in the English dictionary:
(Kuhn, 1994, as adapted by Berk, 2001)
Smirk: Slight, often fleeting upturning of the corners of the mouth, completely voluntary and controllable;- Smile: Silent, voluntary and controllable, more perceptible than a smirk; begins to release endorphins;
- Cachinnate: To laugh loudly.
- Grin: Silent, controllable, but uses more facial muscles (e.g., eyes begin to narrow);
- Snicker: First emergence of sound with facial muscles, but still controllable (if you hold in a snicker, it builds up gas);
- Giggle: Has a 50 percent chance of reversal to avoid a full laugh; sound of giggling is amusing; efforts to suppress it tend to increase its strength;
- Chuckle: Involves chest muscles with deeper pitch;
- Chortle: originates even deeper in the chest and involves muscles of torso; usually provokes laughter in others;
Smirk: Slight, often fleeting upturning of the corners of the mouth, completely voluntary and controllable;- Laugh: Involves facial and thoracic muscles as well as abdomen and extremities; sound of barking or snorting;
- Cackle: First involuntary stage; pitch is higher and body begins to rock, spine extends and flexes, with an upturning of head;
- Guffaw: Full body response; feet stomp, arms wave, thighs slapped, torso rocks, sound is deep and loud; may result in free flowing of tears, increased heart rate, and breathlessness; strongest solitary laughter experience;
- Howl: Volume and pitch rise higher and higher and body becomes more animated;
- Shriek: Greater intensity than howl; sense of helplessness and vulnerability;
- Roar: Lose individuality; i.e., the audience roars!
- Convulse: Body is completely out of control in a fit of laughter resembling a seizure; extremities flail aimlessly, balance is lost, gasp for breath, collapse or fall off chair;
- Die laughing: Instant of total helplessness; a brief, physically intense, transcendent experience; having died, we thereafter report a refreshing moment of breathlessness and exhaustion with colors more vivid and everything sparkling; everything is renewed.
More Laughter Synonyms
- Burst out: To suddenly start laughing or crying
- Collapse: If you collapse into laughter, you start laughing in an uncontrolled way
- Crack up: To suddenly laugh a lot at something
- Crease up: To start laughing, or to make someone laugh a lot
- Die laughing: To laugh a lot
- Get/have the giggles: To be unable to stop giggling
- Giggly: Laughing a lot in a nervous, excited, or silly way
- In fits: Laughing a lot
- In hysterics: Laughing in an excited and uncontrolled way
- In stitches: Laughing a lot
- Kill yourself laughing: To laugh a lot
- Lose it: To start laughing or crying and be unable to stop
- Nearly/almost wet yourself: To laugh a lot
- Split your sides: To laugh a lot
- To dissolve into: If you dissolve into something such as tears or laughter, you begin to cry or laugh in an uncontrolled way
…and amusement, glee, hilarity, mirth, merriment, rejoicing, snort, snorting, chortling, har-de-har, tehee, tittering…
These are synonyms to laughter and similar expressions of amusement or delight, not ways to describe laughter….
I see many of these as synonyms but many of the words are also onomatopoeia words used to describe the actual types of laughter.
I was going to say something similar to Alex. I wouldn’t really consider a smirk, smile, or grin as a form of laughter. They’re signs of amusement, but I don’t think you’re really in laughter territory until there’s sound involved. Just my two cents.
I liked these examples but I was looking for something different. I want to describe a nervous laughter when someone is afraid but wants to cover that fear…
Hello Mark. Thank you for your kind words. Have a look at https://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/sound-of-laughter/ – in particular the video at the bottom of that particular article. Enjoy!
Mark, I was kind of in the same boat as you. I think these are good words, but I was more looking for an adjective or something to describe how the laughter sounds rather than just what “type” of laughter it is. You probably don’t need this anymore, but in case you do, I found this website helpful: https://www.rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?Word=laughter&typeofrhyme=jjb
This is quite helpful, I love it. I’m still learning English and these last few weeks I’m starting to write a story in English to practice the language (my grammars still laughable tho, I can’t really grasp the 16 tenses yet, so confusing). My main characters love to laugh hard and loud dramatically, so I often use these words/phrases: barked, belly laughed, brayed, cachinnated, crowed, laughed heartily, laughed maniacally, neighed, shrilled, uproared (laughed uproariously). I also often use ‘snigger’ instead of ‘snicker’. Just sharing. Now if there are variations for ‘sad’ and ‘mad/angry’ in one page like this, my research for today would be complete. *giggled* Anyway, thanks!
I really would love to know what word that describes a sarcastic laughter
a sinker is a word I think is very mocking and I don’t like using it unless the word fits
Hi Sebastian,
Speaking of humor, it’s funny how I came across your website. II was seeking a partial solution for cross-word-puzzle style game. The hint is “To laugh so loudly you lose control of yourself.” and the word, or what I know of it is,
c_c_ _ NN _ t _
I can’t seem to come up with it, so thought I would pose the question here.
Best to you and yours during this disquieting time. Our family has found that keeping our senses of humor about us, does seem to help.
🙂 Thank you for your kind words. I do not know the answer to your question. Please do share when you find it!
It’s “Cachinnate”. Search it up.
very interesting and good article