Anyone got a good verb for a deep and evil laughter? I've looked on theasaurus.com and can't find much suitable. Chuckle and chortle seem too jolly. Cackle seems too witch-like and not fitting for a 6ft tall, 200lb, heavily bearded man. Sniggered and snickered seem too skulking for a large, proud man. Anyone got any ideas?
Guffaw isn't quite on the money, but always seemed to me to be a laugh for larger people (as it is a larger laugh). It doesn't have the tinge of evil, though. Maybe pair a negative or loud-seeming adjective with the laughter--booming laughter, roaring laughter, thunderous laughter? I know there's something closer, but that's my instinctive reply.
In that case, you could also have the laughter be barked out, snapped out, something along those lines, presuming you don't take it into the realm of purple. 'Laughed harshly' has been around as a standard description for ages, too.
Was being a bit wry with the description--to clarify: "assuming you don't use a zillion adjectives and overwrite it (making it purple prose), of course!" Apologies.
Cackle? Malicious Cackle comes to mind but depends what the setting is. AHH see you rejected that lol didn't see it that time round. Is crowed with laughter still too witchlike? snort of laughter? brazen laughter?
for a single word, 'snicker' is the only synonym for laughter that comes close to 'evil'... to get closer than that, you're going to have to describe it and not just rely on an unaccompanied verb...
lol this question had me dreaming about evil laughter machivellian, grotesque, gothic, eerie followed by laughter was all I could come up with lol and I would check that spelling
Could you have a contorted laugh (twisted ,out of shape. Rather then visually, but audibly?) I also like malice. But at the end of the day you have to choose something you are comfortable with. As well as something that fits into your writing easily.
You're not going to get it. You'll need to use something like 'His eyes glinted with malice as he laughed manically' You smile with your eyes and show sorrow with your eyes, they always compliment the mouth.
How about: "Muahahaha!!" he cackled maniacally as he hunched over and rubbed his hands together, a hint of evil glistening in his wicked eyes. Hee hee ... :redface: Seriously though, given the context of what is happening in the story, I would think your character can just laugh or chuckle or smile and the reader will get that its evil.
He laughed, and a chill spread over my skin. Keep the verb simple, but use the reactions of those hearing the laugh to convey the menace.
