proverb · Words worth keeping
Laughter is the best medicine.
Laughter is the best medicine.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes laughter the best medicine. It presents humour as a possible source of comfort through a remedy image.
What the words are saying
The superlative is rhetorical, not a treatment comparison. A responsible explanation permits enjoyment without requiring a distressed person to laugh or replacing needed care. The supplied feel-good gloss does not establish a universal response or clinical effect.
Everyday example
A friend welcomes humour when it is wanted while taking the person’s actual needs seriously.
When to use it
Use it to discuss welcome comfort without a medical prescription.
What it does not mean
No treatment effect, universal mood improvement or reason to avoid care is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 771; PDF page 110
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.