笑い・笑・嗤い|わらいwarai[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounlaugh; laughter
   赤ん坊あかんぼうは敵意てきいのある笑わらいができるほど年としをとってはいない。↗

   The baby is not old enough to be capable of hostile laughter.
2. nounsmile
   日本にっぽん文化ぶんかの文脈ぶんみゃくの中なかでは当然とうぜんと思おもわれる微笑ほほえみも、外国人がいこくじんの間あいだでは、不気味ぶきみな笑わらいとして多おおくの混乱こんらんを生うみ、また悪評あくひょうが高たかい。↗

   Our smile, which is understandable in the context of Japanese culture, sometimes causes a lot of confusion and is notorious among foreign people as a mysterious smile.

   ぎこちない笑わらいをした店員てんいんが答こたえた。↗

   The smirking male clerk replied.
3. nounsneeresp. 嗤い
4. nounsex aids (e.g. dildos, pornographic books, erotic woodblock prints, etc.)

• Synonym笑い声わらいごえNeutralSpecifically the sound of laughing, as in 「笑い声が聞こえる」; 「笑い」 also covers smiles and the act of laughing itself.
• RelatedニヤニヤNeutralMimetic word for grinning or smirking silently, often with a smug or sneaky feel; used as 「ニヤニヤする」.
• Related笑顔えがおNeutralThe smiling face, i.e. the expression itself, as in 「笑顔で迎える」; positive in nuance. 「笑い」 is the laugh or laughter.
• Related笑みえみWrittenWritten-style word for a smile, typically in 「笑みを浮かべる」 or 「満面の笑み」.
• Related微笑びしょうWrittenSino-Japanese word for a smile, used mostly in written description, as in 「微笑を浮かべる」.
• Related一笑いっしょうWrittenA laugh or slight smile; in the idiom 「一笑に付す」 it means to laugh something off. 「笑い」 is the general word for laughing.
• RelatedにっこりNeutralMimetic word for a pleased, warm smile — slight or broad, as in 「にっこり笑う」; 「笑い」 is not tied to any particular manner.
• RelatedスマイルNeutralLoanword for a smile, common in advertising and service slogans; lighter in feel than 「笑顔」.
• Related微笑みほほえみWrittenA gentle smile, as in 「優しい微笑み」; refined and written in feel, while 「笑い」 can be a big laugh.
• Related含み笑いふくみわらいNeutralA suppressed, silent laugh with lips closed, often implying a knowing or secretly delighted feeling.
• Related破顔はがんWrittenWritten word, mostly in 「破顔一笑」, for breaking into a broad, beaming smile.
• Related笑い顔わらいがおNeutralA smiling face, close to 「笑顔」 but more purely descriptive; everyday speech prefers 「笑顔」.
• Antonym泣きなきNeutralCrying or weeping; stands opposite 「笑い」 on the laughing-versus-crying axis.

Use 「笑い」 for the act of laughing and the sound of laughter. For the sound alone say 「笑い声」; for the expression on the face, 「笑顔」. Gentle or written-style smiles take 「微笑み」「笑み」「微笑」, a warm grin 「にっこり」, a smug silent one 「ニヤニヤ」, a suppressed chuckle 「含み笑い」. 「スマイル」 suits ads; 「破顔」「一笑」 are literary; 「泣き」 is the antonym.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. わらうこと。
2. 談話だんわ録ろくや口述こうじゅつ筆記ひっきなどで、笑声しょうせいが上あがったことを表あらわす。
3. 落語らくご、漫才まんざい、喜劇きげきなど、人ひとを笑わらわせる芸能げいのう。
4. （「嗤わらい」とも）あざけること。嘲笑ちょうしょう。冷笑れいしょう。
5. 石いしを積つむとき、隙間すきまにモルタルなどを詰つめず、空あけておくこと。また、その所ところ。
6. 「わらう」の連用形れんようけい。