courteous laughter; forced laughter; polite smile
Refers to laughter or a smile that is socially expected rather than spontaneous, often in formal or service contexts. Can imply insincerity or effort.
She greeted the customers with a courteous smile.
I responded to my boss's boring joke with forced laughter.
作り笑い explicitly means a fake or manufactured smile, while 巧笑 can also imply a skillful, socially appropriate expression.
Standard kanji spelling for this term.
Variant kanji spelling using 咲 (bloom) instead of 笑 (laugh), emphasizing a pleasant smile.
A Sino-Japanese word inherited from Classical Chinese 巧笑, “charming or artful smile,” notably found in the 詩経.