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feigns laughter

epistolario

Senior Member
Tagalog
If X tells a joke that is not funny, and Y laughs, how would you describe the latter?

a) Y tries to make sure that his laughter sounds authentic because he wants to borrow money from X.

b) Y shows that his laughter is obviously fake because he wants to intimidate X.
Hmmm, as for the predicates of the sentences, their correctness depend on what you want the reason behind his laughing to be. He could be laughing this way to make his friend feel better, to make himself not feel uncomfortable, for all sorts of reasons.

But in general, we call that a 'fake laugh'.
I agree: it might even be the case that Y isn't faking his laughter ... because he has a poor sense of humour and does find the joke funny👁 Smile :)
I agree: it might even be the case that Y isn't faking his laughter ... because he has a poor sense of humour and does find the joke funny👁 Smile :)

Thanks, ewie. In that case, would you also describe Y as shallow? Or do you say that he has a shallow sense of humor?
Thanks, ewie. In that case, would you also describe Y as shallow? Or do you say that he has a shallow sense of humor?

I don't usually see 'shallow' used about a sense of humor. If I have a "sick sense of humor", I like disgusting or sadistic jokes. If I have a "bad sense of humor", I like either stupid or inappropriate jokes.

Laughter can sound fake or forced or brittle (or a lot of other things); it depends on the exact context and whether you need a noun or a verb.
If X tells a joke that is not funny, and Y laughs, how would you describe the latter?

a) Y tries to make sure that his laughter sounds authentic because he wants to borrow money from X.

b) Y shows that his laughter is obviously fake because he wants to intimidate X.

In the case of (a) I would describe Y's laughter as sycophantic.
In the case of (b) I would Y's laughter as derisive. [I don't think this is quite right, and will be interested to see what others come up with.]
In the case of (a) I would describe Y's laughter as sycophantic.
In the case of (b) I would Y's laughter as derisive. [I don't think this is quite right, and will be interested to see what others come up with.]

I think 'derisive' sounds good. Derisive laughter isn't really intimidating, but it could be humiliating. (I have no idea what kind of laughter would be intimidating.)
I think 'derisive' sounds good. Derisive laughter isn't really intimidating, but it could be humiliating. (I have no idea what kind of laughter would be intimidating.)

I think the villainous laughter of Jack Nicholson in his various roles would be intimidating!
I think 'derisive' sounds good. Derisive laughter isn't really intimidating, but it could be humiliating. (I have no idea what kind of laughter would be intimidating.)

Evil laughter. 👁 Eek! :eek:
Evil laughter. 👁 Eek! :eek:

Ok, ok, I get that some laughter is scary. What I don't get is why someone would laugh in an obviously fake way in order to intimidate people. That just doesn't quite make sense to me.
Ok, ok, I get that some laughter is scary. What I don't get is why someone would laugh in an obviously fake way in order to intimidate people.

Oh ok, I see your point now. Yeah, I dont understand that either.

That just doesn't quite make sense to me.
Because there isn't any sense to it. lol. Unless that person is demented.
It could be described as a chuckle, but I'd say the best term is a "courtesy laugh."
Edit: And, in addition, I can't really see someone forcing a laugh to intimidate someone. However, most people give the fake courtesy chuckle when they don't want to hurt the other person's feelings that the joke and/or comment wasn't funny, they didn't understand the joke, or they aren't in the mood to give an authentic in-depth laugh and instead just let out the fake, soft laugh or a snicker.
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As an intimidation tactic? 👁 Confused :confused:


I understand "uncomfortableness" being a result of someone's fake laugh, but that's not what we're talking about here.

Oh, okay. No, you're right - as an intimidation tactic it would not be a chuckle. I thought he/she was talking about just someone giving a phony laugh either because of 'a' or 'b,' with 'a' being about wanting to borrow someone's money, which doesn't necessarily go back to the courtesy laugh, but I think it falls in the same category with a fake laugh to appease the person... for whatever the reason.
b) Y shows that his laughter is obviously fake because he wants to intimidate X.

This is what I commonly hear from watching English TV programs when a character cracks a joke that is not funny:

Haha . . . very funny . . . (said in a sarcastic way)

This is to discourage the other person joking.
This is what I commonly hear from watching English TV programs when a character cracks a joke that is not funny:

Haha . . . very funny . . . (said in a sarcastic way)

This is to discourage the other person joking.

A forced laugh, sarcastic laugh...."because his friend's joke wasn't funny." or "he wanted to show his friend that the joke wasn't funny."
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