Table of Contents
思い出し笑い (おもいだしわらい)
Meaning: “to remember (something funny) and laugh”
For instance, if you laugh out of nowhere after you remember someone’s or even your joke, that’s 思い出し笑い.
Example
電車（でんしゃ）の中（なか）で突然（とつぜん）思い出し笑いをして、変（へん）な目（め）で見（み）られた。
I suddenly remembered something funny and laughed on a train, and was seen as a weird person by people around me.
作り笑い (つくりわらい)/愛想笑い (あいそわらい)
Meaning: “fake/courtesy laugh”
People often make “fake/courtesy laugh” when they’re trying to be nice and polite. For instance, you might do so when your boss says a lame joke or pun. The meanings of 愛想笑い and 作り笑い are almost the same, but 作り笑い is a “fake/feigned laugh” whereas 愛想笑い is more like a “courtesy laugh”. Therefore, when you make a fake smile in a picture, that is 作り笑い but not 愛想笑い, as it is not made to be polite to others.
Example
場（ば）の空気（くうき）を壊（こわ）さないために、{作り笑い/愛想笑い}をした
I made a fake laugh so that I won’t spoil the mood.
苦笑い (にがわらい)/苦笑 (くしょう)
Meaning “a laugh in a bad/undesirable situation”
It literally means “bitter laugh”. You may do this when you make an embarrassing mistake in front of many people; when you fail to win a match/game; or when someone makes a sarcastic joke about you. Sometimes, 苦笑い can also refer to 愛想笑い, like a laugh you make after hearing a lame joke.
Commonly, it is used as “苦笑い/苦笑する” or 苦笑い/苦笑を浮(う)かべる”
Example
ズボンのチャックが開（あ）いていると言（い）われて、苦笑いするしかなかった
I was told that the zipper of my trousers was open, and could do nothing but a “bitter laugh”.
Meanings of Onomatopieas
ニコニコ (+する)
It refers to a happy, beaming smile.
ニヤニヤ (+する)
It usually refers to a nasty, smirking and/or mean smile. You can also say ニタニタ, which sounds nastier and more repulsive than ニヤニヤ.
クスクス (+と笑う)
It describes a chuckle (quite/stifled laugh)
ヘラヘラ (+する)
It usually describes a flippant and non-serious laugh/attitude, like saying sorry while smiling lightly. For instance, when a teacher scolds his/her students but they do not seem to take it seriously, he/she would say “ヘラヘラするな！”, meaning “Be serious!”
ゲラゲラ (+と笑う)
It describes a guffaw (loud laugh)
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