James Thurber

The appreciative smile, the chuckle, the soundless mirth, so important to the success of comedy, cannot be understood unless one sits among the audience and feels the warmth created by the quality of laughter that the audience takes home with it.

American Author

Joseph Addison

Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity.

English Writer

Robert South

Most of the appearance of mirth in the world is not mirth, it is art. The wounded spirit is not seen, but walks under a disguise.

English Clergyman

Roald Dahl

I never get any protests from children. All you get are giggles of mirth and squirms of delight. I know what children like.

British Novelist

Benjamin Rush

Mirth, and even cheerfulness, when employed as remedies in low spirits, are like hot water to a frozen limb.

American Scientist

Henry Ward Beecher

Mirth is the sweet wine of human life. It should be offered sparkling with zestful life unto God.

American Clergyman

Izaak Walton

I love such mirth as does not make friends ashamed to look upon one another next morning.

George Ade

It is not time for mirth and laughter, the cold, gray dawn of the morning after.

American Playwright

Agnes Repplier

The thinkers of the world should by rights be guardians of the world's mirth.

American Writer

William Shakespeare

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.

English Playwright

Mirth implies a deep, joyful emotion often shown with laughter.

Positive Emotion

Use 'mirth' to describe lively joy in groups, like parties or family gatherings.

Social Settings

Mirth is genuine happiness, not sarcastic or mocking laughter.

Not Sarcastic

 the music stops. New passengers get on, and the current passengers get to witness the new passengers -- their surprise -- as they hear the elevator music for the first time. You experience the shift of adults standing silently, strangers in an elevator, to attempting to suppress their mirth,

The health benefits of...

 to the suit mirth Donkey Sanctuary in Devon for the tale of Sam the donkey and