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Diamondrg Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

laugh at / near

We're not laughing at you,
We're laughing near you.

What is the difference between the two?
  

Top answer

Hi, We're not laughing at you, 'At' here does not refer to location. It means that our laughter is not directed towards you. We do not think you are comical/funny.

— Clive

  • Hi, We're not laughing at you, 'At' here does not refer to location.
  • It means that our laughter is not directed towards you.
  • We do not think you are comical/funny.
  • We're laughing near you.
  • 'Near' here simply refers to location.
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5 Answers
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Hi,

We're not laughing at you, 'At' here does not refer to location. It means that our laughter is not directed towards you. We do not think you are comical/funny.
We're laughing near you. 'Near' here simply refers to location. We are close to you, and we are laughing.

Best wishes, Clive
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thank you, Clive. It was from the film "Dead Poets Society".
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The more usual formulation, by the way, is

We're not laughing at you; we're laughing with you.

CJ
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CalifJimThe more usual formulation, by the way, is

We're not laughing at you; we're laughing with you.

CJ

if the interlocutor is not laughing, will "with" still be correct?
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You might still say it as a joke, but it wouldn't literally be correct.
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