French word

rire

Pronunciation

IPA/ʁiʁ/

Meaning

  • verblaugh

Example

Il rit avec ses amis.

He laughs with his friends.

Illustration for rire (laugh)

More examples

Elle fait rire toute la salle.

She makes the whole room laugh.

Core concept

A face opens into a voiced burst that shows amusement or joy.

Common phrases

  • faire rire

    make ___ laugh

  • rire de bon cœur

    laugh heartily

  • rire aux larmes

    laugh until one cries

Similar words

rigoler: To laugh in an easygoing, colloquial manner.
sourire: To show pleasure or goodwill with a smile.

Definition in French

Exprimer la joie ou l'amusement par un son et une expression du visage.

Word origin

French rire comes from Latin ridere through Old French, preserving the older verb's basic sense of laughing.

Usage tips

  • In il rit, the final t is silent, so the form is pronounced /ʁi/.

Other meanings

  • laughternoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word