Laughter is a universal language—one that connects people, breaks down barriers, and turns even the dullest moments into something memorable. But did you know that the English language is full of idioms that express different ways of laughing? These funny and expressive phrases go way beyond just saying “haha” or “LOL.” They add flavor, personality, and a touch of humor to how we talk about joy and amusement.
Understanding idioms for laughing not only improves your vocabulary, but also helps you sound more natural in conversations, especially when chatting with friends, telling stories, or watching comedy shows. These idioms are commonly used in books, TV shows, and real-life chats to describe different types of laughter—from polite chuckles to uncontrollable belly laughs. Whether you’re laughing nervously or bursting out in a fit of giggles, there’s an idiom that fits just right.
In this article, you’ll learn some of the most popular laughing idioms, what they mean, and how to use them in real-life conversations. Each idiom includes a detailed explanation, a fun example sentence, and other ways to say it. Let’s take a joyful ride through these hilarious expressions and get ready to laugh out loud—literally and idiomatically!
Idioms for Laughing
1. Laugh your head off
Meaning: To laugh a lot, loudly, and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: I laughed my head off watching that video of the cat trying to dance.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh uncontrollably, Burst out laughing
2. In stitches
Meaning: To laugh so much that it hurts or feels like your sides might split.
In a Sentence: That stand-up comedian had the whole crowd in stitches the entire time.
Other Ways to Say: Laughing hard, Cracking up
3. Crack up
Meaning: To suddenly start laughing.
In a Sentence: I completely cracked up when my friend did that silly dance move.
Other Ways to Say: Burst into laughter, Lose it laughing
4. Laugh like a drain
Meaning: To laugh in a loud, unrestrained, and not very graceful way.
In a Sentence: He laughed like a drain when I slipped on the ice—but I laughed too!
Other Ways to Say: Laugh loudly, Laugh without control
5. Burst out laughing
Meaning: To laugh suddenly and loudly.
In a Sentence: I burst out laughing when the baby made that funny face.
Other Ways to Say: Break into laughter, Start laughing suddenly
6. Split your sides
Meaning: To laugh so hard it feels like your sides are going to tear.
In a Sentence: I was splitting my sides during the blooper reel at the end of the movie.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh uncontrollably, Be in stitches
7. Die laughing
Meaning: To laugh so much that it feels like you’re going to die from it.
In a Sentence: We were dying laughing after hearing his terrible but hilarious jokes.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh until you can’t breathe, Laugh extremely hard
8. Have a good laugh
Meaning: To enjoy laughing about something.
In a Sentence: We had a good laugh about that awkward moment at lunch.
Other Ways to Say: Share a laugh, Enjoy a funny moment
9. Giggle fit
Meaning: A sudden and uncontrollable burst of giggling.
In a Sentence: During class, we had a giggle fit and couldn’t stop for five minutes.
Other Ways to Say: Laughing spell, Fit of giggles
10. Chuckle to yourself
Meaning: To laugh quietly, often in a private or thoughtful way.
In a Sentence: She chuckled to herself while reading the text message.
Other Ways to Say: Quiet laugh, Soft laugh to yourself
11. Laugh up your sleeve
Meaning: To laugh secretly, especially at someone else’s expense.
In a Sentence: I saw him laughing up his sleeve when the teacher tripped over the cord.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh secretly, Suppress laughter
12. Laugh out loud
Meaning: To laugh audibly and obviously, often used even in text or online.
In a Sentence: I actually laughed out loud when I saw that hilarious meme.
Other Ways to Say: LOL, Loud laugh
13. Tickle your funny bone
Meaning: To make someone laugh or amuse them.
In a Sentence: That joke really tickled my funny bone—I couldn’t stop giggling.
Other Ways to Say: Amuse, Entertain
14. Grin from ear to ear
Meaning: To smile or laugh very widely, showing great amusement or happiness.
In a Sentence: He was grinning from ear to ear after hearing the joke.
Other Ways to Say: Beaming, Laughing with joy
15. Roar with laughter
Meaning: To laugh very loudly and heartily.
In a Sentence: The entire audience roared with laughter at the comedian’s punchline.
Other Ways to Say: Bellow with laughter, Explode in laughter
16. Laugh it off
Meaning: To treat a problem or embarrassment as something funny rather than serious.
In a Sentence: When I tripped in the hallway, I just laughed it off and kept walking.
Other Ways to Say: Brush it off, Make light of it
17. Cracking jokes
Meaning: To tell funny things to make others laugh.
In a Sentence: He was cracking jokes all through lunch and had everyone in a good mood.
Other Ways to Say: Telling jokes, Being the funny one
18. Laugh all the way to the bank
Meaning: To make a lot of money easily or in a funny or unexpected way.
In a Sentence: Everyone mocked his silly invention, but now he’s laughing all the way to the bank.
Other Ways to Say: Profit from something, Win despite criticism
19. Be a barrel of laughs
Meaning: Someone or something that is very funny or entertaining.
In a Sentence: That family reunion was a barrel of laughs from start to finish.
Other Ways to Say: Hilarious person, Loads of fun
20. Not a laughing matter
Meaning: Something serious that should not be joked about.
In a Sentence: Missing school for a week is not a laughing matter—you’ll fall behind.
Other Ways to Say: Serious issue, No joke
21. Burst into giggles
Meaning: To suddenly start giggling, especially in a light and playful way.
In a Sentence: The kids burst into giggles when the teacher made a funny face.
Other Ways to Say: Break into laughter, Start giggling
22. Laugh till you cry
Meaning: To laugh so hard that tears come out of your eyes.
In a Sentence: I laughed till I cried watching that prank video—it was just too much.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh intensely, Be overcome with laughter
23. Have the last laugh
Meaning: To end up succeeding or being right after being doubted or mocked.
In a Sentence: She had the last laugh when her risky idea turned into a big success.
Other Ways to Say: Win in the end, Come out on top
24. Snort with laughter
Meaning: To laugh so hard that you snort involuntarily.
In a Sentence: He snorted with laughter when I told the story about my dog’s escape.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh loudly, Uncontrollable laugh
25. Double over with laughter
Meaning: To bend your body forward because you’re laughing so hard.
In a Sentence: I doubled over with laughter when my brother slipped on the balloon.
Other Ways to Say: Be overwhelmed with laughter, Fold from laughing
26. Laugh in someone’s face
Meaning: To openly and rudely laugh at someone.
In a Sentence: It was mean when they laughed in his face after he fell off the stage.
Other Ways to Say: Mock openly, Be rude while laughing
27. Guffaw loudly
Meaning: To laugh in a very loud and boisterous way.
In a Sentence: The movie was so ridiculous that I guffawed loudly in the theater.
Other Ways to Say: Loud belly laugh, Unrestrained laughter
28. Laugh yourself silly
Meaning: To laugh so much that you feel dizzy or tired.
In a Sentence: We laughed ourselves silly at the game night bloopers.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh excessively, Lose control laughing
29. Can’t stop laughing
Meaning: To continue laughing for a long time because something is really funny.
In a Sentence: I couldn’t stop laughing after seeing that dancing llama video.
Other Ways to Say: Non-stop laughter, Keep laughing
30. A laughing stock
Meaning: Someone who is ridiculed by others.
In a Sentence: He became the laughing stock of the class after trying to sing opera.
Other Ways to Say: Joke to others, Someone mocked
31. Laugh like a hyena
Meaning: To laugh in a wild, loud, and sometimes annoying way.
In a Sentence: He laughed like a hyena when he saw the clown trip over his own shoes.
Other Ways to Say: Wild laugh, Loud and high-pitched laugh
32. Roll on the floor laughing
Meaning: To laugh so much that you feel like lying down and rolling.
In a Sentence: I was rolling on the floor laughing at that blooper video.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh like crazy, Laugh uncontrollably
33. Laugh out of the blue
Meaning: To laugh unexpectedly, without any clear reason.
In a Sentence: She laughed out of the blue during the test, and nobody knew why.
Other Ways to Say: Random laughter, Sudden laugh
34. Giggle like a schoolgirl
Meaning: To laugh in a high-pitched, childlike way, often out of nervousness or excitement.
In a Sentence: He giggled like a schoolgirl when he saw his crush walk by.
Other Ways to Say: Silly giggle, Embarrassed laugh
35. Snicker quietly
Meaning: To laugh in a quiet, often sneaky way.
In a Sentence: They snickered quietly when the teacher spilled her coffee.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh under your breath, Suppressed laugh
36. Laugh someone out of the room
Meaning: To make someone leave or feel embarrassed because of excessive laughter.
In a Sentence: His silly idea was laughed out of the room before he could even explain.
Other Ways to Say: Mock strongly, Dismiss with laughter
37. Giggle uncontrollably
Meaning: To be unable to stop giggling due to amusement.
In a Sentence: We giggled uncontrollably when the dog wore sunglasses.
Other Ways to Say: Non-stop giggling, Laugh fit
38. Laugh till your belly hurts
Meaning: To laugh so much that your stomach feels sore.
In a Sentence: I laughed till my belly hurt watching that ridiculous cooking show.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh hard, Painful laughter
39. Laugh like there’s no tomorrow
Meaning: To laugh freely and happily without holding back.
In a Sentence: At the party, everyone laughed like there was no tomorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh wildly, Enjoy the moment
40. Be in fits of laughter
Meaning: To experience repeated, intense bursts of laughter.
In a Sentence: We were in fits of laughter while watching that puppet show.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh repeatedly, Continuous laughter
41. Have a giggle
Meaning: To enjoy a light and short laugh.
In a Sentence: We had a giggle about our childhood photos.
Other Ways to Say: Small laugh, Quick chuckle
42. Laugh until your cheeks hurt
Meaning: To laugh so much that your facial muscles start to ache.
In a Sentence: After that hilarious prank, I laughed until my cheeks hurt.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh nonstop, Laugh with joy
43. Cackle like a witch
Meaning: To laugh in a loud, high-pitched, and sometimes evil way.
In a Sentence: She cackled like a witch when she pulled off that prank.
Other Ways to Say: Wicked laugh, Sharp loud laughter
44. Laugh your socks off
Meaning: To laugh very hard and enjoy something fully.
In a Sentence: We laughed our socks off at the comedy club last night.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh hard, Be highly amused
45. Snigger behind someone’s back
Meaning: To secretly laugh at someone in a mean or mocking way.
In a Sentence: They were sniggering behind her back after her presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Mock secretly, Hidden laughter
46. A chuckle a minute
Meaning: A situation or person that constantly makes you laugh.
In a Sentence: That TV show is a chuckle a minute—I never stop smiling.
Other Ways to Say: Always funny, Full of laughs
47. Laugh someone into silence
Meaning: To make someone stop talking by making them laugh too much.
In a Sentence: He laughed me into silence with his impersonation of our teacher.
Other Ways to Say: Silence with laughter, Stop words with humor
48. Laugh until you’re breathless
Meaning: To laugh so hard you can barely breathe.
In a Sentence: I laughed until I was breathless during the talent show.
Other Ways to Say: Intense laughing, Breath-stealing laughter
49. Laugh like a loon
Meaning: To laugh in a loud, silly, and possibly wild way.
In a Sentence: He laughed like a loon when the baby tried to mimic the dog.
Other Ways to Say: Laugh wildly, Silly laugh
50. Burst into a laughing frenzy
Meaning: To suddenly begin laughing wildly and without control.
In a Sentence: The whole class burst into a laughing frenzy after the school bell played a funny tune.
Other Ways to Say: Explosive laughter, Sudden loud laughter
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- That joke was so funny, I laughed my ________ off.
- We were all in ________ of laughter at the movie.
- She ________ quietly when the teacher mispronounced the word.
- I giggled ________ when I saw the tiny cat in a sweater.
- He laughed ________ like he had never heard anything funnier.
- The kids were in a ________ fit after seeing the puppet dance.
- I laughed so hard, I nearly ________ over with laughter.
- They ________ on the floor laughing at the magician’s silly trick.
- The comedian had us ________ from ear to ear.
- I laughed until I was out of ________.
Answers:
head, fits, snickered, uncontrollably, like a drain, giggle, doubled, rolled, grinning, breath
Conclusion
Learning idioms for laughing adds a whole new level of fun and flavor to your conversations. These expressive phrases let you describe laughter in dozens of creative ways, whether you’re having a little chuckle or completely losing it. By using them, you can sound more natural in English, share humor more vividly, and connect better with friends and stories around you.
The next time you find something funny, try using one of these idioms instead of just saying “that’s hilarious.” Keep practicing these phrases in your writing and everyday talk—they’ll make your language brighter, bolder, and a lot more fun. Because after all, who doesn’t love a good laugh?
