10 Common Differences Between Smiles And Laughter

Difference Between Smiles And Laughter: Oftentimes, both are used to denote a state of joy or happiness but this does not totally account for their interrelatedness. Both words also denote expressions whether facial or vocal, which usually involve contortions of the face that appear delightful.

A laugh however is a vocal reaction typical of humans and some primate species and consists of audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. In this article, we highlight the differences between smiles and laughter.

However, the differences between the two words are marked and will be treated in this article. By definition, a smile is a facial expression that shows an upward curving of the corners of one’s mouth, usually along with an indication of pleasure.

10 Distinctions Between Smiles And Laughter

1. Facial/Vocal: Smile purely is facial expressions of a pleasant, amusing kind, which are achieved with the corner of the mouth or lips curved upwards. Laughs are vocal expressions, which consist of the making of spontaneous sounds and facial and body movements that are based on instinct and express lively amusement.

2. Synonyms: One way to know the difference between two words to look at the words nearest to them in meaning. For a smile, those words are grim, beam, etc. For laughs, they include chuckle, guffaw, etc.

3. Antonyms: Similarly, the nearest opposites of a word can tell it apart from another whose meaning is similar to it by emphasizing certain qualities in a contrary manner. The antonyms of smile include frown and glower. Antonyms of laugh include cry and sob.

4. Medical significance: Medically, smiles and laughs are known to have subtle effects on our wellbeing. Positive moods have been shown to have positive effects on our physiology as humans. Smiles have been demonstrated to help reduce tension and reduce the blood sugars of diabetic patients.

5. Appeal: Generally, people consider a smiling face to be attractive. Some people develop emotional attractions to partners on the basis of their smiles. Laughter has a similar albeit different appeal. Laughter generally appeals as evidence of joyousness, happiness.

6. Smile strain: Unfortunately, both smiles and laugh may strain the muscles, albeit in different ways. Smiles, especially when sustained for long, may result in sore facial muscles and can cause some discomfort.

7. Laughter strain: In a manner similar to that mentioned above, laughter, especially when prolonged has been linked to possibilities of incontinence, and often, people can develop headaches.

8. Flipside: A smile is often a cute characteristic, but sometimes, it achieves a negative effect of implying that one is hardly ever serious. And this is a bad reputation for a person who intends to be taken seriously. Laugher too, while being a pleasant activity, can in certain situations be considered rude and offensive.

9. Purpose: While the purpose of smiling and laughing may vary extensively and in fact are flexible, typically, smiles are used to express feelings of satisfaction, goodwill, or pleasantness. Laughs, as physical reactions are given in recognition of humor, surprise, incredulity, and incongruity.

10. Origin: Basically, a major difference between both worlds can be seen in their origins, while smile originated from Middle English, laugh originated from Old English.

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CSN Team.