laugh: [OE] The word laugh is ultimately onomatopoeic, imitative of the sound of laughter. It goes back to Indo-European *klak-, *klōk-, which also produced Greek klóssein, a verb denoting the clucking of hens, and Latin clangere ‘sound’ (source of English clangor [16]). Its Germanic descendants were *khlakh-, *khlōkh-, from which come German and Dutch lachen, Swedish and Danish le, and English laugh. => clangor
laugh (v.)
late 14c., from Old English (Anglian) hlæhhan, earlier hlihhan, from Proto-Germanic *klakhjan (cognates: Old Norse hlæja, Danish le, Old Frisian hlakkia, Old Saxon hlahhian, Middle Dutch and Dutch lachen, Old High German hlahhan, German lachen, Gothic hlahjan), from PIE *kleg-, of imitative origin (compare Latin cachinnare "to laugh aloud," Sanskrit kakhati "laughs," Old Church Slavonic chochotati "laugh," Lithuanian klageti "to cackle," Greek kakhazein). Originally with a "hard" -gh- sound, as in Scottish loch; the spelling remained after the pronunciation shifted to "-f."
If I coveted nowe to avenge the injuries that you have done me, I myght laughe in my slyve. [John Daus, "Sleidanes Commentaries," 1560]
Related: Laughed; laughing.
laugh (n.)
1680s, from laugh (v.). Meaning "a cause of laughter" is from 1895; ironic use (as in that's a laugh) attested from 1930. Laugh track "canned laughter on a TV program" is from 1961.
权威例句
1. For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
我们活着是为了什么?不就是给邻居当笑柄,再反过来笑他们。
2. Do not hesitate to laugh at anything you find amusing.
只要觉得好笑就尽管笑。
3. He was falsely jovial, with his booming, mirthless laugh.
他低声苦笑了几声,装出快乐的样子。
4. They laugh so hard they double up with laughter.
他们捧腹大笑,直不起身来。
5. The blunt comment made Richard laugh in spite of himself.
这番率直的话让理查德不由自主地大笑起来。
词语辨析
【giggle, laugh, chuckle, roar, sneer, beam, jeer, grin】
这组词都有“笑”的意思,其区别是:
giggle: v.咯咯地笑,痴笑,傻笑,多指女人和孩子由于紧张、被逗乐、尴尬时所发出的笑声。
• The schoolgirls giggled when the famous football player walkedsintostheir classroom. 当这个著名的足球运动员走进教室时,女生们都咯咯地笑起来。
laugh: v.笑,大笑,用于一般的笑或出声的大笑。
chuckle: v. (书面语)吃吃的笑,抿嘴笑,轻声笑,多指因得意或领会到某事中的趣味而暗自发笑。
• She does not laugh out loud; she only chuckles. 她没有笑出声来,只是抿嘴而笑。
roar: v.怒吼,咆哮,引申为放声大笑,哄堂大笑。
• He roared when he heard the joke. 听完这个笑话,他哈哈大笑。
sneer: v.冷笑,嘲笑,指以语言、表情、和声调表示轻蔑或嘲弄。
• He sneered at the offer and said it was two low. 他对报价嗤之以鼻,说它太低了。
beam: v.本义指照耀,放光,引申为"微笑",是正式用语,指面带喜悦或笑容,暗示对他人的友好或内心的满足。
• She beamed with happiness. 她高兴得眉开眼笑。
jeer: v.讥笑,嘲笑,其同义词是mock。
• The crowd jeered when the boxer was knocked down. 当那个拳手被人打倒时,人群开始嘲笑他。
grin: v.露齿而笑,指人因高兴、满足、轻蔑等咧开嘴露齿地笑。
• He grinned at his mother. 他冲他的妈妈咧嘴一笑。