Laughter is the name of the contagious temporary condition consisting of smiling widely, hiccup-like short breaths, loss of breath,
loud noises, violent gasps,
doubling over, and contractions of the chest. It is felt by almost everyone
periodically, typically when something "funny" has been seen or heard. This temporary condition can range in severity, from a light "smile" to small hiccup-like "giggles," to loss of breath and speech while doubled over in pain due to not being able to breathe because of a laughter-inducing agent.
The cause of laughter could be something like a "joke," said by someone trying to induce laughter in a group of people, either directly (why did
Adele cross the road- to say
hello from the other side!) or indirectly (I hate it when I go to hug someone really sexy and my face smashes right into the mirror). Puzzlingly, another laughter- inducing agent is the pain of others, such as someone bouncing a ball and it hitting them in the face, or someone eating a Ghost pepper on video.
Though laughter sounds painful, people enjoy laughter, as, despite the painful exterior and serious symptoms (loss of breath, loud noises, violent gasps, contractions of the chest), you are filled with a feeling of pleasure or entertainment during laughter.
To sum it up, laughter is cause by something funny, consists of smiling, loud and distinct noises, and
gasping, and is (somehow) a pleasurable experience.
When I tell
a funny joke,
laughter erupts around me in response.
