哄堂大笑

• Pinyin: hōng táng dà xiào
• Hanzi breakdown: 哄 = 口 + 共 (mouths together — collective noise); 堂 = 土 (earth) + 口 (hall opening) + 冖 (cover) — great hall; 大 = a person with arms spread wide — large/great; 笑 = 竹 (bamboo — bent shape) + 夭 (young/energetic person) — laughing with joy

Meaning

The whole room bursts into laughter; everyone in the audience erupts with laughter simultaneously. Describes a situation where an entire gathered crowd laughs loudly together.

A four-character set phrase vivid in its imagery: 哄堂 evokes the sound of a hall filled with uproar, and 大笑 indicates hearty laughter. Used in contexts of public performance, storytelling, comedy, classroom settings, and formal gatherings where an unexpected remark or event triggers universal laughter. Implies a spontaneous, collective, and boisterous burst of amusement.

Examples

1. 相声演员说到那句妙趣横生的俏皮话时，台下的观众立刻哄堂大笑，整个剧场的气氛瞬间达到高潮。 When the crosstalk comedian delivered that witty punchline, the audience burst into laughter at once, and the theater’s atmosphere instantly peaked.
2. 会议上一位代表无意间说出了一个谐音双关的词语，令全体与会者哄堂大笑，严肃的氛围为之一变。 At the meeting, a delegate accidentally used a pun, and the entire room burst into laughter, completely changing the previously serious mood.
3. 老师在课堂上讲了一个发生在自己求学经历中的糗事，逗得全班同学哄堂大笑，课堂气氛顿时轻松活跃。 The teacher told an embarrassing story from his student days, and the whole class burst into laughter, instantly making the classroom feel relaxed and lively.

Usage Guide

Context: comedy, public events, education, performance, social gatherings

Tone: lively

Do Say

• 颁奖典礼上，主持人一句出人意料的幽默开场白逗得全场嘉宾和观众哄堂大笑，瞬间拉近了彼此的距离。(At the awards ceremony, the host's unexpectedly humorous opening line made the entire audience burst into laughter, instantly bringing everyone closer together.)
• 小品演员凭借夸张的表情和绝妙的台词，令现场观众数度哄堂大笑，精彩的表演赢得了全场最热烈的掌声。(Through exaggerated expressions and brilliant lines, the sketch comedian repeatedly sent the live audience into bursts of laughter, earning the most enthusiastic applause of the entire show.)

Don't Say

• 哄堂大笑 for polite or restrained laughter — the phrase implies a loud, spontaneous collective outburst; use 会心一笑 for a quiet knowing smile, or 忍俊不禁 for suppressed laughter

Origin & History

哄堂 (the whole hall in an uproar) + 大笑 (laughing heartily) — the entire hall erupting into laughter

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal