Guffawed is the simple past tense of guffaw, meaning to laugh loudly and boisterously. It conveys a strong, abrupt burst of laughter, often in reaction to something absurd or entertaining. The word emphasizes volume and spontaneity rather than controlled humor, and it’s commonly used in narrative or descriptive writing to depict a character’s reaction.
US: emphasize /ɔː/ and keep rhotic-like palate movement minimal; /ɡ/ initial is firm. UK: crisper /d/ at the end, and the /ɔː/ may be slightly longer; AU: often slightly broader vowel quality and a touch more nasal resonance. In all accents the primary stress remains on the first syllable, and the /f/ remains a clean labiodental fricative. Use IPA as a guide and listen to native sources for subtle differences.
"When the comedian tripped on stage, the audience guffawed in disbelief before settling into applause."
"She guffawed so hard that her tea spilled down her blouse."
"The crowd guffawed at the ridiculous joke, then applauded the punchline."
"Even in the quiet library, he couldn’t help guffawing at the ridiculous poster."
Guffaw originated in the early 19th century in American English, likely stemming from imitative or expressive forms that suggested boisterous laughter. The root is associated with the phrase guff, which historically signified nonsense or deceit, though in guffaw the sense shifted to a loud, unrestrained laugh. Early uses appear in regional American dialects, often written to capture a physical burst of laughter. Over time, guffaw broadened to describe not just the sound but the act of laughing with a loud, explosive quality. The verb form guffawed emerged as the narrative past tense, used to recount a moment of loud laughter in prose. The word interacts with synonyms such as roar and bellow, underscoring its emphasis on volume and momentary spontaneity. First known literary appearance traces to 1830s American prose, but the exact origin within regional slang remains debated, with hypotheses ranging from onomatopoeic origins to an evolution from older light laughter terms through social transcription of laughter in print.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Guffawed" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Guffawed"
-wed sounds
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Guffawed is pronounced as /ˈɡʌfɔːd/. Break it into two syllables: GUF (short, stressed) + awed (rhymes with 'awed' but with a longer o sound). Ensure the /f/ is a clean fricative, and the second syllable carries the long o: /ɔː/. Mouth: start with a rounded lower lip near the teeth for /ɡ/ release, then /ʌ/ as a relaxed open mid vowel, then /f/ with the upper teeth on the lower lip, and finish with /ɔːd/, keeping the jaw open for the long vowel before a light /d/. You’ll hear the first syllable more forcefully than the second.
Common mistakes: 1) Slurring the vowel in the second syllable, making it 'guffed' or 'guff-wad' instead of /ˈɡʌfɔːd/. 2) Dropping the /ɔː/ to a short /ɔ/ or /oʊ/, which weakens the long vowel. 3) Misplacing stress, saying guF away or with equal stress. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable, hold the /ɔː/ as a long diphthong /ɔː/, and finish with a crisp /d/. Practice with minimal pairs like guffaw vs guffawed to feel the transition.
US: /ˈɡʌfɔːd/ with rhotic 'r-less' influence on surrounding vowels; vowel /ɔː/ is long. UK: /ˈɡʌ.fɔːd/ with potential slight tighter /ɔː/ and crisper /d/; sometimes reduced post-vocalic coloring. AU: similar to UK but may be broader, with a more open /ɔː/ and occasional slight vowel lift. All share primary stress on first syllable; rhoticity minimal in UK/AU; US keeps more rhotic clarity in relation to following vowel sounds.
The challenge centers on the long /ɔː/ in the second syllable after /f/ and the abrupt /d/ ending. Achieving the clean /ɔː/ without spilling into a shorter /ɔ/ or /o/ requires precise jaw positioning and tongue height. Additionally, the cluster /fɔːd/ demands a balanced lip tension for /f/ and a precise alveolar closure for /d/. Beginners often truncate the vowel or misplace the tongue during transition from /f/ to /ɔː/.
Guffawed has no silent letters; it is clearly pronounced with two syllables and a strong first-syllable stress. The pattern is regular: /ˈɡʌfɔːd/. The difficulty lies in maintaining a clear /ɔː/ before the final /d/ and not de-emphasizing the first syllable. A common search question is whether the second syllable carries any stress; it does not—the primary stress lands on GUF.
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