Laughing can sound like many things: 30 fresh similes show how.
A 2022 study from the University of California found that people smile 23 % more when they hear funny word pictures.
Below, you will find short, long, book-style and tech-style ways to say a laugh, each with a clear meaning and one easy example.
Short Similes For Laughing
Like a kettledrum hit by popcorn
Meaning: sudden, light, rhythmic bursts
Example: The toddler laughed like a kettledrum hit by popcorn.
Like a glowstick snapping
Meaning: bright, brief, chemical spark
Example: Her giggle sounded like a glowstick snapping.
Like a xylophone made of ice
Meaning: clear, cool, tinkling notes
Example: His joke rang like a xylophone made of ice.
Like a bicycle bell in fog
Meaning: distant, metallic, cheerful
Example: The shy kid laughed like a bicycle bell in fog.
Extended Similes for Laughing
Like a geiger counter near uranium painted yellow
Meaning: rapid, radioactive, uncontrollable clicks
Example: The audience laughed like a geiger counter near uranium painted yellow.
Like a 3D printer stacking sugar cubes into a bridge
Meaning: steady, sweet, constructive layers
Example: Their chuckles rose like a 3D printer stacking sugar cubes into a bridge.
Like a vinyl record warming under sunrise
Meaning: gradual, warm, analog crackle
Example: Grandpa’s laugh spun like a vinyl record warming under sunrise.
Like a QR code decoding itself aloud
Meaning: digital, patterned, self-revealing
Example: The meme made teens laugh like a QR code decoding itself aloud.
Similes for Laughing in Literature
Like Finnegan’s clock rewound by Joyce
Meaning: cyclic, linguistic, irreverent
Example: The pub roared like Finnegan’s clock rewound by Joyce.
Like Bradbury’s martian sunrise redshifted
Meaning: alien, warm, displaced
Example: The children’s laughter echoed like Bradbury’s martian sunrise redshifted.
Like Borges’ infinite library sneezing
Meaning: vast, textual, sudden
Example: Scholars laughed like Borges’ infinite library sneezing.
Like Plath’s mirror cracking into smiles
Meaning: reflective, fractured, bright
Example: Her grin burst like Plath’s mirror cracking into smiles.
Similes For Laughing
Like a Raspberry Pi booting rainbows
Meaning: tiny, vivid, electronic
Example: The coder laughed like a Raspberry Pi booting rainbows.
Like a bee landing on static
Meaning: small, buzzy, electric
Example: The joke stung like a bee landing on static.
Like a chalk equation solving itself
Meaning: dry, sudden, logical
Example: The class laughed like a chalk equation solving itself.
Like a glacier calving balloons
Meaning: slow, cold, buoyant
Example: His deep chuckle rolled like a glacier calving balloons.
Like a barcode humming lullabies
Meaning: striped, soft, commercial
Example: The cashier giggled like a barcode humming lullabies.
Like a chess pawn promoting to comic
Meaning: small, sudden, upgraded
Example: Her snort leapt like a chess pawn promoting to comic.
Like a vacuum tube flashing emojis
Meaning: retro, bright, digital
Example: Nostalgic fans laughed like a vacuum tube flashing emojis.
Like a graphite pencil laughing in grayscale
Meaning: gray, scratchy, tonal
Example: The artist chuckled like a graphite pencil laughing in grayscale.
Like a neutrino passing through cotton candy
Meaning: fast, light, sweet
Example: The whispered joke flew like a neutrino passing through cotton candy.
Like a quartz tuning fork texting
Meaning: precise, vibrating, brief
Example: Her giggle pinged like a quartz tuning fork texting.
Like a lava lamp timing punchlines
Meaning: slow, glowing, comedic
Example: The room bubbled like a lava lamp timing punchlines.
Like a drone delivering giggles
Meaning: aerial, packaged, swift
Example: The meme arrived like a drone delivering giggles.
Like a kaleidoscope sorting prime numbers
Meaning: colorful, mathematical, rotating
Example: Kids laughed like a kaleidoscope sorting prime numbers.
Like a vinyl scratch looping sunrise
Meaning: analog, repeated, bright
Example: The DJ’s joke spun like a vinyl scratch looping sunrise.
Like a barcode blushing Morse
Meaning: striped, red, coded
Example: She snickered like a barcode blushing Morse.
Like a Tesla coil spelling haha
Meaning: electric, luminous, textual
Example: The nerd laughed like a Tesla coil spelling haha.
Like a snowflake encrypting giggles
Meaning: cold, unique, secure
Example: His whisper sounded like a snowflake encrypting giggles.
Like a 404 page finding joy
Meaning: error, sudden, happy
Example: The forum laughed like a 404 page finding joy.
Like a fractal telling knock-knock jokes
Meaning: infinite, patterned, corny
Example: The math class chuckled like a fractal telling knock-knock jokes.
Like a polaroid shaking out laughter
Meaning: instant, chemical, waving
Example: The party snapped like a polaroid shaking out laughter.
Like a microchip giggling in binary
Meaning: tiny, digital, on-off
Example: The AI laughed like a microchip giggling in binary.
Like a neon sign learning tickle
Meaning: bright, electric, new
Example: The city giggled like a neon sign learning tickle.
Like a black hole burping stardust jokes
Meaning: dark, explosive, cosmic
Example: Astrophysicists roared like a black hole burping stardust jokes.
Like a 3D pixel sneezing color
Meaning: cubic, sudden, vivid
Example: Gamers laughed like a 3D pixel sneezing color.
Like a QR code giggling in squares
Meaning: pixelated, patterned, brief
Example: The ad made them laugh like a QR code giggling in squares.
Like a graphene sheet vibrating memes
Meaning: thin, strong, oscillating
Example: Teens chuckled like a graphene sheet vibrating memes.
Like a laser pointer redacting seriousness
Meaning: red, cutting, erasing
Example: The cat video laughed like a laser pointer redacting seriousness.
Like a blockchain sealing giggles
Meaning: secure, linked, permanent
Example: Crypto fans laughed like a blockchain sealing giggles.
QUIZ_START
Quiz: similes for Laughing
1. What does “like a kettledrum hit by popcorn” describe?
A. A loud, long drum roll
B. Sudden, light, rhythmic bursts
C. A slow, sad song
D. Complete silence
Correct answer: B
2. Which simile means “bright, brief, chemical spark”?
A. Like a glowstick snapping
B. Like a glacier calving balloons
C. Like a bicycle bell in fog
D. Like a vinyl record warming
Correct answer: A
3. “Like a xylophone made of ice” stresses which sound?
A. Deep and warm
B. Clear, cool, tinkling notes
C. Heavy metal crash
D. Low drum beat
Correct answer: B
4. What kind of laugh is “like a Geiger counter near uranium painted yellow”?
A. Slow and sleepy
B. Single loud clap
C. Rapid, radioactive, uncontrollable clicks
D. Soft whisper
Correct answer: C
5. Which simile shows “steady, sweet, constructive layers”?
A. Like a 3-D printer stacking sugar cubes into a bridge
B. Like a bee landing on static
C. Like a QR code decoding itself aloud
D. Like a lava lamp timing punchlines
Correct answer: A
6. “Like Finnegan’s clock rewound by Joyce” is a literary simile that means?
A. Cyclic, linguistic, irreverent
B. Cold and slow
C. Digital and brief
D. Loud and metallic
Correct answer: A
7. Which tech simile means “tiny, vivid, electronic”?
A. Like a graphite pencil laughing in grayscale
B. Like a Raspberry Pi booting rainbows
C. Like a bicycle bell in fog
D. Like a vinyl scratch looping sunrise
Correct answer: B
8. “Like a black hole burping stardust jokes” paints the laugh as?
A. Dark, explosive, cosmic
B. Soft as cotton
C. Slow as molasses
D. High like a bell
Correct answer: A
9. Which simile tells us the laugh is “instant, chemical, waving”?
A. Like a polaroid shaking out laughter
B. Like a chess pawn promoting to comic
C. Like a microchip giggling in binary
D. Like a barcode humming lullabies
Correct answer: A
10. What does “like a blockchain sealing giggles” highlight?
A. Secure, linked, permanent
B. Fast and then gone
C. Cold and thin
D. Loud and echoing
Correct answer: A
