laughing matter
nounDefinition of laughing matter
: something not to be taken seriously
—usually used in the phrase no laughing matter
Examples of laughing matter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Movie critics seemingly agree: Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Joker is no laughing matter (and could soon be headed for Oscar glory). — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, "Joaquin Phoenix earns rave Joker reviews at Venice Film Festival," 31 Aug. 2019 But as Gronkowski, who was forced into retirement in March by a body no longer able and a spirit no longer willing to absorb the battering of NFL life, spelled out in emotional detail, pain management for athletes is no laughing matter. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Gronk has a good point: Athletes should be allowed to use CBD," 28 Aug. 2019 The Internet abounds with jokes about baldness and thinning hair, but those conditions are no laughing matter. — Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Patchy success for most baldness treatments," 26 Aug. 2019 But the brutal truth of it is that this kid embodies the tragedy of criminal justice in America today, certainly no laughing matter to those destroyed by it. — Angela Helm, The Root, "Lakeith Smith Got 65 Years For The Death of a 16-Year-Old Killed By Police," 7 Apr. 2018 But the punch line—what happened to those families at one Los Angeles medical facility in August 2018—is no laughing matter. — Dov Fox, WIRED, "What Happens When Reproductive Tech Like IVF Goes Awry?," 17 July 2019 The silly name was chosen by the British public in 2016 for a new research vessel, but it was instead bestowed on a smaller submarine Boaty McBoatface may have started as a joke, but its latest findings are no laughing matter. — Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE.com, "Boaty McBoatface, an Actual British Research Submarine, Makes Surprising Climate Change Discovery," 19 June 2019 Triple-digit interest rates are no laughing matter for those who take out payday loans. — Anjali Tsui, ProPublica, "How Payday Lenders Spent $1 Million at a Trump Resort — and Cashed In," 5 June 2019 The world today, it’s really not a laughing matter. — Nick Vadala, Philly.com, "Kathy Griffin slams Kevin Hart over avoiding Trump material onstage," 15 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'laughing matter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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