English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Last laugh
Meaning
The idiom "last laugh" refers to the idea of having the last word or gaining satisfaction from someone's defeat, loss, or failure. It is often used when one person has made a mistake or misjudgment and another person gains an advantage or victory over them as a result.
Usage
- After losing his job, John felt he had the last laugh when his ex-boss was fired soon after.
- The team's victory in the championship game was sweet for fans who had suffered losses in previous years.
- When my friend accidentally spilled her coffee on a stranger at a café, I couldn't help but chuckle and feel like I got the last laugh.
- The comedian's joke about his own misadventures left everyone laughing, including himself.
- In the end, the company's failure to innovate meant that their competitors had the last laugh and took over the market.
Roots and History
The idiom "last laugh" dates back to at least the 18th century in English literature. One of its earliest uses can be found in a play by John Dennis called "She Stoops to Conquer" in 1795, where a character says, "I am sure I shall have the last laugh." The phrase was later popularized in an 1813 essay by Charles Dickens titled "The Pickwick Papers," where he wrote, "It is not always pleasant to be made the butt of ridicule, but there is nothing more gratifying than having the last laugh at one's enemies." Over time, the idiom has evolved to include a wider range of situations and outcomes. It can now refer to any situation where one person gains an advantage or satisfaction from another person's misfortune, regardless of whether it is intentional or accidental.
Synonyms in English
- Turn of events
- Twist of fate
- Payback
- Served right
- Reaping what you sow
Synonyms in other languages
- Amor mío, que tienes razón (Spanish) - "My love, you are right"
- L'ordre est rétabli (French) - "Order is restored"
- La victoire est à celui qui a le dernier rire (French) - "The victory is to the one who laughs last"
- Die Stunde des Zornes und der Beschamung ist da (German) - "The time of wrath and shame is here"
- お遅いだけの大喜ぶ (Japanese) - "To be happy only when it's too late"