Literary notes about guffawing (AI summary)
The term "guffawing" frequently appears in literature to evoke a sense of uninhibited, hearty laughter that often carries additional layers of emotion or irony. Writers employ it to illustrate both mirth and the unsettling effect of excessive laughter—ranging from moments of genuine relief and amusement as seen when a character’s hearty laughter underscores the gravity of a scene [1], to instances of ridicule or scorn where guffawing punctuates a character’s callous behavior [2]. Its usage also conveys the contagious, almost instinctive quality of laughter, as when groups burst into robust, collective amusement while reacting to a situation [3][4]. Moreover, guffawing can serve to highlight character traits or social commentary, whether it is used to contrast controlled behavior with spontaneous outbursts or to subtly underline the absurdity of a particular moment [5][6].
- And then he heard him laugh—a hearty, guffawing laugh of genuine relief—— “It’s real !”
— from Day and Night Stories by Algernon Blackwood - You know as well as I do that I hate men—nasty, selfish, guzzling, conceited, guffawing brutes!
— from The Invader: A Novel by Margaret L. (Margaret Louisa) Woods - They went along smoking and puffing, and talking and guffawing in the vulgarest way, en route to swill and smoke and puff and guffaw somewhere else.
— from Amaryllis at the Fair by Richard Jefferies - Why, we are guffawing this moment at the very recollection of the picture!
— from The Knickerbocker, Vol. 22, No. 3, September 1843 by Various - "What do you want to stand there guffawing for?" called Jack, ill-naturedly.
— from Apples, Ripe and Rosy, Sir And Other Stories for Boys and Girls by Mary Catherine Crowley - Tha'll a' to buy him a new 'at for his 'eead, soon as we get i'to Hebs'orth.' ''Appen he's got no brass,' suggested the other, guffawing.
— from A Life's Morning by George Gissing
