1 C1 idiomatic formal
To silence or reject a person, proposal, or idea by greeting it with contemptuous laughter.
"His radical proposal was laughed down by the committee before he even finished presenting it."
separable
laugh down
C1 formal separable transitive
To silence, dismiss, or humiliate someone or something by meeting them with laughter or ridicule.
In plain English
To laugh at someone's idea or speech in a way that makes them stop or feel too embarrassed to continue.
What does "laugh down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To humiliate someone publicly through mockery until they are unable to continue.
"The hecklers laughed down every attempt the performer made to recover her composure."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bring something 'down' — reduce its status or silence it — using laughter as the force.
Actually means
To laugh at someone's idea or speech in a way that makes them stop or feel too embarrassed to continue.
Usage tip
Somewhat literary or formal in tone. Often describes a collective public response — an audience or group laughing down a speaker's ideas. Less used in everyday conversation.
Words that pair with "laugh down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
proposal speaker suggestion idea protest critic
How to conjugate "laugh down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
laugh down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
laughs down
he/she/it
Past simple
laughed down
yesterday
Past participle
laughed down
have + pp
-ing form
laughing down
continuous
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