This noun denotes laughter, the physical expression of mirth, joy, or sometimes mockery. In James 4:9, it appears in a call to repentance: "Let your laughter be turned to mourning"—a reversal from frivolous joy to serious grief over sin. Classical usage encompasses both genuine merriment and derisive mockery, with emphasis on the audible, physical manifestation. The translations (Spanish risa, French/German retaining the Greek or using Lachen) all point to the outward expression of levity that must give way to appropriate sorrow for sin in James's call to humble repentance.