Mirth
What it means
Laughter and lively amusement shared or openly expressed.
Reach for it when naming buoyant humor in a literary or slightly old-fashioned tone
The storyteller's final imitation filled the room with mirth.
Words to choose between 9
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when delight is exuberant and possibly mischievous
Careful Glee can sound unkind if it follows another person's failure.
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everyday
Fits when laughter becomes intense and widespread
Careful Hilarity suggests more intensity and sometimes a loss of composure.
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everyday
Fits when the audible response is the exact focus
Careful Laughter can be nervous, mocking, or unrelated to happiness.
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warm
Fits when general positive spirit matters more than comedy
Careful Cheer can be encouragement or optimism without amusement.
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warm
good humor
Fits when a cheerful, tolerant disposition matters
Careful Good humor can remain quiet and need not produce laughter.
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warm
Fits when sociable celebration includes laughter and activity
Careful Merriment is broader and may include music or festivity.
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professional
Fits when something entertains or seems funny
Careful Amusement can be quiet and detached rather than openly joyful.
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formal
Fits when lightness temporarily relieves seriousness
Careful Levity can be inappropriate and does not guarantee genuine joy.
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literary
Suits hearty sociable good humor
Careful Jollity sounds dated and may suggest forced festivity.
Opposites 3
- gloom
- sorrow
- melancholy
Common phrases 3
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cause mirth
The puppy's determined bow continued to cause mirth.
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full of mirth
The reunion was full of mirth without becoming noisy.
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shout of mirth
A shout of mirth rose when the old joke reached its ending.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated