Japanese word

爆笑

Pronunciation

Romajibakushō

Meaning

  • nounburst of laughter

Example

その話で爆笑しました。so no hanashi de baku shō shi ma shi ta

That story made me burst out laughing.

Illustration for 爆笑 (burst of laughter)

More examples

先生のまじめな言い間違いが、教室で爆笑を誘いました。sen sei no ma ji me na i i ma chiga i ga kyō shitsu de baku shō o saso i ma shi ta

The teacher's serious slip of the tongue provoked laughter in the classroom.

Core concept

爆笑 (bakushō, "burst of laughter") describes a strong wave of laughter that bursts out rather than remaining restrained.

Common phrases

  • 爆笑するbaku shō su ru

    burst out laughing

  • 爆笑を誘うbaku shō o saso u

    cause a burst of laughter

  • 爆笑を巻き起こすbaku shō o ma ki o ko su

    spark a roar of laughter

Similar words

大笑いōwarai: A loud or hearty act of laughing.
哄笑kōshō: Loud laughter that can come from several people at once.
失笑shisshō: A laugh that escapes unintentionally in an awkward or unexpected moment.

Definition in Japanese

こらえきれないほど大きく笑うこと。ko ra e ki re na i ho do ō ki ku wara u ko to

Word origin

爆笑 (bakushō) combines 爆 (baku, "explode") with 笑 (shō, "laugh"), giving the compound its sense of laughter bursting forth.

Usage tips

  • In casual Japanese, 爆笑した (bakushō shita) can describe a reaction to a funny story or remark, while the English phrase usually appears with a verb such as burst out laughing.

Other meanings

  • roar of laughternoun

Word lists with this word