MEANING
To laugh loudly and openly, without trying to contain it.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- guffaw at a joke
- a sudden guffaw
On the page
The host guffawed before the punchline, spoiling the joke for everyone else.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- guffaw
- Past tense
- guffawed
- Past participle
- guffawed
- Present participle
- guffawing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- guffaw
- Present continuous
- am/is/are guffawing
- Present perfect
- have/has guffawed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been guffawing
- Past
- guffawed
- Past continuous
- was/were guffawing
- Past perfect
- had guffawed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been guffawing
- Future
- will guffaw
- Future continuous
- will be guffawing
- Future perfect
- will have guffawed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been guffawing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: guffaw; guffaws; guffawed; guffawed; guffawing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: guffaws.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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