What does guffaw mean?
Word: Guffaw
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Guffaw means a loud, deep burst of laughter.
How do you spell guffaw?
Syllables: guf - faw
Tricky part: The double f is the snag: students hear one f and write only one.
Watch out for: gufaw, gufffaw
Memory tip: Puff out both cheeks before a big laugh: one f for each cheek.
Guffaw in a sentence
Example 1: Uncle's guffaw could be heard from the next room.
Example 2: The clown's tumble got a guffaw out of even the strictest teacher.
Example 3: With a guffaw, Rohan dropped his comic and clapped his hands.
Fun Fact
Guffaw is thought to copy the sound of the laugh itself, and it seems to have started out as a Scots word in the 1700s.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
g_ffa_
a) u,w
b) u,r
c) a,w
d) o,w
Show answer
a) u,w. The vowel is the u of cup, and the sound at the close is spelt aw, as in straw.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
His loud auwfgf made the whole dining hall turn round.
a) giggle
b) gasp
c) guffaw
d) gaffe
Show answer
c) guffaw. A w and a u are both there, and no other option has either letter.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word guffaw as used in the sentence:
Grandma's joke drew a great guffaw from everyone at the table.
a) chortle
b) yawn
c) sigh
d) whimper
Show answer
a) chortle. A chortle is a loud laugh of amusement; the other three show no amusement at all.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. souvenir 2. amatuer 3. guffaw 4. pedestrian
a) a person walking along a street
b) a hearty roar of amusement
c) someone who does a thing for pleasure, not pay
d) a small object kept to remember a place
Show answer
c) someone who does a thing for pleasure, not pay. Amateur ends in eur, so two letters in the list have changed places.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which moment would most likely end in a guffaw?
a) a slow walk to the bus stop
b) a comedian's best joke in a packed hall
c) a difficult maths test on Monday
d) a quiet hour in the reading room
Show answer
b) a comedian's best joke in a packed hall
2. A story describes a king's guffaw. How is he feeling at that moment?
a) rather tired
b) highly amused
c) very lonely
d) deeply bored
Show answer
b) highly amused
