noun
laughing matter
Used almost exclusively in negative expressions like 笑い事ではない to say something is no laughing matter or not a joke.
こんな状況は笑い事じゃないよ。
This situation is no laughing matter.
彼の失敗を笑い事にしてはいけない。
You shouldn't treat his failure as a laughing matter.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana spelling, sometimes used for clarity or in informal writing.
笑い話 is a funny story or anecdote, while 笑い事 refers to something that can be laughed off or treated as a joke.
Compound of 笑い (laughter) and 事 (matter, thing).