Laugh off
verb
To act as though something is not important or serious by laughing at it.
He tried to laugh off his poor performance in the game
Often appears as...
- laugh off criticism
- laugh off failure
phrasal verb
To treat something as not significant, usually by laughing.
He just laughed off the incident, although it was quite serious
Often appears as...
- laugh off incident
- laugh off problem
verb
To refuse to take something seriously by making fun of it.
She tends to laugh off any suggestions that she should take up a healthier lifestyle
Often appears as...
- laugh off suggestion
- laugh off criticism
verb
To act as though something is not important or serious by laughing at it.
He tried to laugh off his poor performance in the game
Often appears as...
- laugh off criticism
- laugh off failure
phrasal verb
To treat something as not significant, usually by laughing.
He just laughed off the incident, although it was quite serious
Often appears as...
- laugh off incident
- laugh off problem
verb
To refuse to take something seriously by making fun of it.
She tends to laugh off any suggestions that she should take up a healthier lifestyle
Often appears as...
- laugh off suggestion
- laugh off criticism
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Mask
Used to hide true feelings about a negative situation by pretending it's not serious.
Despite being upset, he laughed off the rude comment.
Pro Tip 2/3Social Easement
It can defuse tension in awkward situations or when facing criticism.
She laughed off the awkward silence during the meeting.
Pro Tip 3/3Deflection
Sometimes used to avoid addressing the issue or to evade further questioning.
He laughed off the question about his future plans.
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