Chinese word

哄堂大笑

Pronunciation

Pinyinhōng táng dà xiào

Meaning

idiomburst out laughing

Example

他的笑话让大家哄堂大笑。tā de xiào huà ràng dà jiā hōng táng dà xiào

His joke made everyone burst out laughing.

Illustration for 哄堂大笑 (burst out laughing)

More examples

他的模仿惹得大家哄堂大笑。tā de mó fǎng rě de dà jiā hōng táng dà xiào

His imitation made everyone burst out laughing.

Core concept

A whole gathering erupts in laughter at the same moment.

Common phrases

惹得大家哄堂大笑rě de dà jiā hōng táng dà xiào
make everyone burst out laughing
引得众人哄堂大笑yǐn de zhòng rén hōng táng dà xiào
make everyone burst out laughing

Similar words

捧腹大笑pěng fù dà xiào: Laughing so hard that the stomach shakes and the body bends with laughter.
开怀大笑kāi huái dà xiào: Laughing brightly and wholeheartedly from a feeling of joy.
大笑不止dà xiào bù zhǐ: Continuing to laugh and being unable to stop.
放声大笑fàng shēng dà xiào: Laughing out loud with a strong voice and complete abandon.

Definition in Chinese

指许多人在同一场合同时放声大笑，整个空间被笑声充满。zhǐ xǔ duō rén zài tóng yì chǎng hé tóng shí fàng shēng dà xiào zhěng gè kōng jiān bèi xiào shēng chōng mǎn

Word origin

The parts 哄 (hōng, "make noise") + 堂 (táng, "hall") suggest noise spreading through a hall, and 大笑 (dàxiào, "laugh loudly") identifies that noise as strong laughter.

Usage tips

Chinese speakers often use this idiom for a room's collective reaction, while an individual sudden laugh usually needs a different expression.

Opposites

默不作声mò bú zuò shēngremain silentidiom