guffaw

noun

guf·​faw (ˌ)gə-ˈfȯ How to pronounce guffaw (audio)
ˈgə-ˌfȯ
: a loud or boisterous burst of laughter
Her remark sparked guffaws around the room.
guffaw intransitive verb

Examples of guffaw in a Sentence

managed to keep a straight face for a minute before he let loose with a loud guffaw
Recent Examples on the Web Savvy viewers might have figured out that not all of the giggles and guffaws were real, but few people outside the industry understood the extent of the artifice. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2024 Moviegoers often recite Kidman’s monologue aloud along with her in the darkened theater, to the guffaws and laughter of other patrons. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 The anecdote elicited more laughter from the audience, as well as guffaws of disbelief. Ellie Austin, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 Her deadpan delivery at the September gathering sparked guffaws from the audience. Maria Petrakis, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023 For the schadenfreude crowd in San Diego, the Chargers’ seventh season since relocation has served up enough tasty pretzels, brews and guffaws to simulate the festive atmosphere of a German beer garden. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Dec. 2023 Your wisdom, humor, loyalty, cooking skills, guffaws, and ice cubes in rose get me through my life. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2023 Only the old man responded, with a hearty Santa Claus guffaw. Hazlitt, 10 May 2023 Those giggles and guffaws can seem like just silly throwaways. Janet M. Gibson, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guffaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guffaw was in 1720

Dictionary Entries Near guffaw

Cite this Entry

“Guffaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guffaw. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

guffaw

noun
guf·​faw (ˌ)gə-ˈfȯ How to pronounce guffaw (audio)
: a loud burst of laughter
guffaw verb

More from Merriam-Webster on guffaw

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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