outlaugh means to ridicule or laugh someone out of a purpose, principle, etc.; laugh down; discourage or put out of countenance by laughing. It carries an Arena rating of 1786, earned across 49 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, outlaugh ranks #1,058 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #2,054 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #3,241 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #4,739 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
Why “outlaugh” is a great word
OUTLAUGH — [Verb] To surpass another in the volume or force of laughter, or to use laughter to overwhelm, silence, or humiliate. From the English prefix out- (meaning "beyond, surpassing, or outward") + laugh (meaning "to express mirth"). First attested in 1605 in the writing of William Camden. Unlike "ridicule," which centers on scornful speech, or "outshine," which denotes a general brilliance, to outlaugh is a victory secured through the physical and social force of mirth itself. It is the booming cackle that drowns out a rival's retort, the cruel, synchronized giggling of a clique that withers a nervous speaker, or the solitary, hysterical guffaw that breaks the tension of a solemn room—a primitive assertion of dominance where joy and cruelty share the same breath.
Etymology
From out- + laugh. Compare Saterland Frisian uutlachje, West Frisian útlaitsje, Dutch uitlachen (“to ridicule”), German Low German utlachen, German auslachen (“to laugh at”), Danish udle.
verb
- To ridicule or laugh someone out of a purpose, principle, etc.; laugh down; discourage or put out of countenance by laughing.e.g.“His apprehensions of being outlaughed will force him to continue in a restless obscurity. - Franklin”
- To laugh louder than, surpass in laughing.e.g.“At his father's quick guffaw he jumped back, trying to outlaugh him. "Mamma, did you hear what I said, Mamma?" Boardman felt his side. "My boy, that's a good one."” — 1995, Myra Page, Moscow Yankee:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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