laughing their heads off

Definitions

• to express extreme amusement
  to describe someone who is laughing uncontrollably or finding something extremely funny

• to exaggerate laughter
  to indicate that someone is laughing very loudly and boisterously

Examples of laughing their heads off

• The stand-up comedian's jokes had the audience laughing their heads off.

  This means that the audience found the jokes so funny that they laughed so hard that it seemed like their heads might fall off. It's a colorful way of saying that the audience was laughing extremely hard and uncontrollably.

• The children laughed their heads off as they played a game involving tickling and chasing.

  Here, we're using the idiom to mean that the children laughed so hard and uncontrollably during the game that it seemed like their heads might come off due to the intensity of their laughter.

• The good news about the project's success had us laughing our heads off.

  In this context, laughing our heads off refers to the fact that we were so surprised and delighted by the good news that we laughed uncontrollably as if our heads might come off.

• The politicians' latest blunders had the media laughing their heads off.

  This usage of the idiom means that the politicians made such notable mistakes that the media found it so funny that it seemed like their heads might come off due to the intensity of their laughter.

• The stand-up comedian's jokes had the audience laughing their heads off.

  This idiom is used to describe a situation where people are laughing so hard that it seems like they might faint or pass out from laughing. In this example, the comedian's humor was so amusing that the audience was utterly delighted and their laughter was loud and uncontrollable.

• Her friends couldn't believe the funny story she told them, they were laughing their heads off.

  This idiom is commonly used to describe a group of people who are all laughing at the same thing. In this case, the speaker's friends found her story so funny that they couldn't stop laughing.

• The movie's slapstick comedy had the audience laughing their heads off from start to finish.

  This idiom is used to describe a movie or television show that is so hilarious that viewers find themselves laughing throughout the entire production. In this example, the movie's comedic elements were so over-the-top and amusing that the audience couldn't help but laugh hysterically.

• The joke was so bad that it made everyone in the room laugh their heads off in disbelief.

  This idiom is used to describe a joke that is so poorly executed or unfunny that it causes an audience to laugh out of shock or disbelief. In this case, the joke was so bad that it absolutely stunned the audience into a fit of laughter.

Conclusion

The idiom "laughing their heads off" is used to describe someone who is laughing uncontrollably or finding something extremely funny. It can also indicate that someone is laughing very loudly and boisterously. The intention is to express extreme amusement and exaggerate laughter.

Origin of "laughing their heads off"

The origin of this idiom is not clearly documented, but it is likely that it originated from the idea of laughing so hard that one's head feels like it might come off. This hyperbolic expression is a common way to emphasize how funny something is, and it has been used in English language for many years. The idiom is often used in informal conversations and literature to convey a high level of amusement and laughter. For example, "When the comedian told the joke, the audience was laughing their heads off."