what's the difference between these verbs?
Can a native tell me what each of the next verbs mean, and also provide a good example for each? :D
These are the verbs:
Giggle
Snigger
Smirk
Titter
Guffaw.
Thank you in advance. )
The problem lies with connotation (feeling or mood associated with words).
Giggle has a happy or slightly negative connotation and is associated with young girls and women laughing.
Snigger has a very negative mood and suggests a sense of being better than the person you're laughing at.
Smirk is different from the others because it isn't a laugh. It means smile, but the connotation is negative because the person who is smirking things they are smarter or better than the other person/people in the room.
I don't know the words titter and guffaw and I'm a well educated native speaker.
I suggest you start using a good learner's dictionary, like the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, which explains the differences between words like this. Here is a link to the free online version (note that having the real book is better): http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
April 23, 2014
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Another tip is to use an image search for each word. Still, be aware that you may get some odd results if there's a pop-culture reference (eg. bands, TV series, celebrities, etc)... turns out that "Titter" is also the name of an old pin-up mag.
April 23, 2014
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