Laugh Out Loud: Meaning, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：laugh out loud (Laugh Out Loud)

Laugh Out Loud 🔊

/læf aʊt laʊd/

phrase, interj.

To laugh very hard and make a lot of noise, often because something is really funny.

Person laughing out loud while looking at phone screen

laugh out loud 🔊

➕

/læf aʊt laʊd/

phrase, interj.

To express strong amusement by laughing audibly and with force, often uncontrollably.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound of laugh + out + loud to express strong audible laughter.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a friend who laughs so hard they shout 'Laugh Out Loud' to describe it.

📖 Example

When my friend showed me the funny video of her cat, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. 🔊 When my friend showed me the funny video of her cat, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

🔗 Collocations

laugh out loud at something – to laugh loudly in response to a specific thing

make someone laugh out loud – to cause someone to burst into loud laughter

laugh out loud with friends – to share a hearty laugh in a social setting

🔄 Synonyms

roar with laughter (phrase) – to laugh very loudly and deeply

crack up (phrase) – to burst into laughter, often suddenly

burst out laughing (phrase) – to start laughing suddenly and uncontrollably

🚫 Antonyms

cry (v.) – to shed tears as an expression of distress

sob (v.) – to cry with short breaths and a choked sound

stay silent (phrase) – to remain quiet without expressing emotion

🌱 Derivatives

LOL (abbreviation) – common internet shorthand for laugh out loud

loud laughter (noun phrase) – noisy, hearty laughter

out-loud (adj.) – audible, not silent (used in phrases like out-loud reading)

📖 Cultural Story

Popularized in 1980s online chat as 'LOL', but the full phrase appears in early 20th-century literature describing hearty laughter.