Guffaw
/ɡəˈfɔː/noun
A loud, boisterous burst of laughter.
Did you know?Unlike mystical words with ancient ritual roots, guffaw is an onomatopoeic English creation — a reminder that some of the most powerful words began as raw human sounds.
Etymological Timeline
Early 18th Century
English
guffaw
“A loud, coarse burst of laughter”
17th–18th Century
Scots/English dialect
guff
“A puff, blast, or heavy breath; a rough sound-word”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*puff-/*huff-
“To blow, puff, or breathe hard”
Modern English
English
guffaw
“A loud, uncontrollable laugh”