Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Describes a loud, explosive, and uncontrollable burst of laughter: "sằng sặc" vividly depicts the sound and manner of someone laughing very hard, often in a series of sharp, loud, and somewhat gasping bursts. It implies a loss of control due to extreme amusement.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Nghe câu chuyện hài, anh ấy cười sằng sặc. (Hearing the funny story, he cackled / burst into uncontrollable laughter.)
  • Cả nhóm cười sằng sặc trước tình huống bất ngờ. (The whole group cackled at the unexpected situation.)

Advanced Usage

• "cười sằng sặc": This is the most common and fixed collocation. The word "sằng sặc" is almost exclusively used with the verb "cười" (to laugh) to form this descriptive phrase.
  • Chị ấy cười sằng sặc đến nỗi nước mắt giàn giụa. (She laughed so uncontrollably that tears streamed down her face.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sặc sụa (adv): Describes coughing or choking violently, often due to liquid going down the wrong pipe. While "sặc sụa" relates to choking and "sằng sặc" to laughter, they share the phonetic intensity describing involuntary, spasmodic sounds.
  • Uống vội, cậu bé bị sặc sụa. (Drinking hastily, the boy choked and coughed violently.)

Synonyms

• Cười ha hả (v): To laugh heartily and openly ("ha ha").
• Cười phá lên (v): To burst out laughing.
• Cười ngặt nghẽo (v): To laugh until one is breathless or doubled over.

Notes on Meaning

• Onomatopoeic Nature: "Sằng sặc" is an onomatopoeic word, imitating the actual sound of explosive laughter. Its usage is highly specific and descriptive.
• Intensity and Lack of Control: The word strongly conveys not just laughter, but a specific kind: loud, abrupt, and seemingly beyond the laugher's control, often in a series of bursts.

adv

1. cackling