laugh at (someone or something)

laugh at (someone or something)

1. Literally, to react to someone or something with laughter. To my great relief, everyone laughed at my joke.

2. To ridicule or deride someone or something with laughter. Don't laugh at me, that was a serious suggestion!

3. To dismiss, scoff at, or express contempt for someone or something. She the kind of person who laughs at rules and thinks they're just meant to be broken. The whole world is laughing at our country right now because of the government's actions.

See also: laugh

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

laugh at someone or something

to chuckle or giggle loudly at someone or something, perhaps in ridicule. Thank goodness, the audience laughed at all my jokes. Don't laugh at me! I'm doing my best! Everyone laughed at the love scene because it was so badly done.

See also: laugh

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

laugh at

Treat lightly, scoff at. For example, He said the other children all laughed at his jacket, or They stopped laughing at his theory when it proved to be correct. [Late 1300s]

See also: laugh

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

laugh at

v.

1. To laugh in response to something intended to be humorous: I always laugh at that TV show.

2. To mock or make fun of someone or something: They laughed at me when I said I wanted to become an astronaut.

3. To treat someone or something lightly; scoff at someone or something: That daredevil laughs at danger.

See also: laugh

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.