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Laughter vs Giggle - What's the difference?

laughter | giggle |

As nouns the difference between laughter and giggle

is that laughter is the sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound while giggle is a high-pitched, silly laugh.

As a verb giggle is

to laugh gently or in a high-pitched voice; to laugh in a silly or giddy way.

laughter

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Noun

(wikipedia laughter) (en-noun)
  • The sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1899, author=(Stephen Crane)
  • , title=, chapter=1 , passage=There was some laughter , and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town.}}
  • A movement (usually involuntary) of the muscles of the laughing face, particularly of the lips, and of the whole body, with a peculiar expression of the eyes, indicating merriment, satisfaction or derision, and usually attended by a sonorous and interrupted expulsion of air from the lungs.
  • * (Thomas Browne) (1605-1682)
  • The act of laughter , which is a sweet contraction of the muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocal organs, is not merely, or totally within the jurisdiction of ourselves.
  • * (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) (1807-1882)
  • Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning with laughter .
  • (label) A reason for merriment.
  • giggle

    English

    Verb

    (giggl)
  • To laugh gently or in a high-pitched voice; to laugh in a silly or giddy way.
  • The jokes had them giggling like little girls all evening.

    Synonyms

    * (laugh in a silly way) titter * See also

    Derived terms

    * giggly

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A high-pitched, silly laugh.
  • (informal) Amusement.
  • We put itching powder down his shirt for giggles .
    The women thought it would be quite a giggle to have a strippergram at the bride's hen party.

    Synonyms

    * titter * amusement, fun, a joke, a laugh or laughs