laugh secretly; snicker inwardly
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesverb
to laugh to oneself; to secretly feel gleeful
neutralRefers to feeling happy or amused internally without showing it openly, often when observing someone else's predicament.
Seeing the other person's anxious expression, he couldn't help but laugh secretly to himself.
She chuckled inwardly to herself for finally figuring out a solution.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
I laughed silently to myself in the audience after hearing his naive speech.
verb
to snicker inwardly; to mock or ridicule secretly
neutralRefers to secretly laughing at someone with contempt or mockery, often because they said or did something foolish. It implies a sense of superiority.
Everyone present secretly scoffed at his ignorant and presumptuous talk.
He pretended to understand what he didn't; a few classmates glanced at each other and snickered inwardly.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Seeing his competitor make a rookie mistake, he snickered mockingly to himself.