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忍び笑い (しのびわらい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

忍しのび笑わらい

し

の

び

わ

ら

い

Meanings

1

stifled laugh; chuckling; snickering

A quiet, suppressed laugh, often used when someone is trying not to be heard or is laughing secretly.

会かい議ぎ中ちゅうに彼かれは忍しのび笑わらいを漏もらし

た

。

He let out a stifled laugh during the meeting.

後うしろの席せきから忍しのび笑わらいが聞きこえてきた。

I could hear snickering from the back seats.

Kanji

忍endure, bear, put up with
笑laugh

Related words

笑わらい
笑い is a general laugh, while 忍び笑い specifically refers to a suppressed or secret laugh.
忍しのぶ
忍ぶ means to hide or conceal oneself; 忍び笑い combines this with 笑い to mean a hidden laugh.

Built from

忍しのぶ+笑わらう

Written forms

忍しのび笑わらいUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling.
しのび笑わらい
Mixed kana-kanji spelling sometimes seen in informal writing.

Etymology

Compound of 忍び (しのび, 'hiding, stealth') + 笑い (わらい, 'laugh'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning is transparent from its components.