• 笑わらう — to laugh, to smile
• 微笑びしょう — gentle smile
• 苦笑くしょう — bitter smile
• 爆笑ばくしょう — burst of laughter
• 冷笑れいしょう — sneer, cold smile
• 笑顔えがお — smiling face
• 失笑しっしょう — involuntary laugh

笑 consists of the bamboo radical ⺮ on top and the phonetic element 夭. Originally, laughter was symbolically tied to the swaying of bamboo or light movement of breath. The idea of smiling or laughing as a light release of emotion fits well with the kanji's shape and sound.

彼かれの 話はなしで 皆みんなが笑わらいました。
Everyone laughed at his story.

笑顔えがおが 素敵すてきですね。
Your smile is lovely.

The kun-yomi readings わらう and えむ are used in daily expressions like "laugh" and "smile." The on-yomi ショウ appears in compound words like 微笑 and 爆笑, commonly used in written and formal language.