laugh vs scream

laugh

noun
  • Something that provokes mirth or scorn. 

  • A fun person. 

  • An expression of mirth particular to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter. 

verb
  • To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and eyes, and usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in laughter. 

  • To express by, or utter with, laughter. 

  • To make an object of laughter or ridicule; to make fun of; to deride; to mock. 

  • To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule. 

scream

noun
  • A loud, emphatic, exclamation of extreme emotion, especially horror, fear, excitement, or anger; it may comprise a word or a sustained, high-pitched vowel sound. 

  • A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer. 

  • Used as an intensifier. 

  • A loud vocalisation of many animals, especially in response to pain or fear. 

  • An exclamation mark. 

verb
  • To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, shout outcry, or shrill, loud cry, as in fright or extreme pain; to screech, to shriek. 

  • To move quickly; to race. 

  • To be very indicative of; clearly having the characteristics of. 

How often have the words laugh and scream occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )