smile
Americanverb (used without object)
-
smiles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
smiled,
past participle, past
-
smiling
present participle
-
to assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, but sometimes derision or scorn, characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth.
- Antonyms:
- frown
-
to regard with favor.
Luck smiled on us that night.
-
to have a pleasant or agreeable appearance or aspect, as natural scenes, objects, etc..
The landscape smiled in the sunlight.
verb (used with object)
-
smiles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
smiled,
past participle, past
-
smiling
present participle
-
to assume or give (a smile, especially of a given kind).
She smiled a warm and friendly smile.
-
to express by a smile.
to smile approval.
-
to bring, put, drive, etc., by or as by smiling.
to smile one's tears away.
noun
-
smiles
plural
-
the act or an instance of smiling; a smiling expression of the face.
- Antonyms:
- frown
-
favor or kindly regard.
fortune's smile.
-
a pleasant or agreeable appearance, look, or aspect.
verb phrase
noun
-
a facial expression characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth, usually showing amusement, friendliness, etc, but sometimes scorn, etc
-
favour or blessing
the smile of fortune
-
an agreeable appearance
verb
-
(intr) to wear or assume a smile
-
-
to look (at) with a kindly or amused expression
-
to look derisively (at) instead of being annoyed
-
to bear (troubles, etc) patiently
-
-
(intr; foll by on or upon) to show approval; bestow a blessing
-
(tr) to express by means of a smile
she smiled a welcome
-
to drive away or change by smiling
smile away one's tears
-
to recover cheerfully from misfortune
Synonym Usage
See laugh.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
smilelessnessnoun
-
smilernoun
-
smilingnessnoun
-
subsmilenoun
-
outsmileverb (used with object)
-
half-smilingadjective
-
smilelessadjective
-
smilingadjective
-
unsmilingadjective
-
half-smilinglyadverb
-
smilelesslyadverb
-
smilinglyadverb
-
unsmilinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
smilesimple
-
smilessimple
-
have smiledperfect
-
has smiledperfect
-
am smilingprogressive
-
are smilingprogressive
-
is smilingprogressive
-
have been smilingperfect progressive
-
has been smilingperfect progressive
Past
-
smiledsimple
-
had smiledperfect
-
was smilingprogressive
-
were smilingprogressive
-
had been smilingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of smile
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English smyllen (verb); cognate with Old High German smīlan, Danish smile
Explanation
Smile is the thing you do with your face when you are happy -– or want others to think you are. Your expression softens and your mouth turns up at the corners. Smile, noun or verb, with its universal message and association with enjoyment and pleasure, is a very useful word. It can express joy or even say hello. Of course if you “smile through your sorrows,” you are either tying to make yourself feel better or fool other people into thinking you are happy. But in general, a smile is a good sign. And as the song goes “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In February the Turkish Foreign Minister responded with a long silence and a smile when asked on live TV if Turkey should pursue the bomb.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
An invitation brings a smile to your face, but the fact that you were taken aback by the sender of the invite created just enough friction in the process to give you pause.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
And Callum Beattie's performance of the Scotland football anthem Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - featuring silver unicorns and dancing Barrowland-style stars - put a smile on everyone's face.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
“Some would call me Tim.” he said with a smile.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
I smile and my butterflies get ready to initiate their symphony.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The sprawling complex had reopened gleaming following another makeover in June this year, promising a place where generations could "share smiles" a decade on.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
The Vances, however, can’t seem to shake off suspicions that they loathe each other, no matter how many smiles they flash at the camera.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
By the weekend, when the shoulder pads come on, coaches will be breaking out in smiles watching their freshmen players trying to figure out the routine for the first time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
When Zelensky met Graham in his presidential office on Friday, the two exchanged smiles and shook hands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Her cheeks were round and red as apples, and all the lines in her face looked like they naturally moved upward into broad smiles and hearty laughs.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
"I show my friends and they're surprised. Everything is working, it's really all working," he smiled.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
He smiled after I busted him for looking, which made me recoil in horror and quickly dart over to hide in the pet food aisle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
While Le Pen beamed at the cameras, brushing off suggestions her deputy would mind being sidelined and insisting "our personal ambitions are absolutely irrelevant", he barely reacted and scarcely smiled.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
On Tuesday afternoon, Harry smiled and gave a thumbs up to crowds as he stepped into his car following an Invictus Games event.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Will smiled crookedly as he pointed at his bicycle.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
I scroll through the portraits he’d emailed me: two women laughing, a family smiling, and my personal favorite, a pop-artish rendering of Gigi Hadid.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
The thumbnail shows a smiling teen holding oversized shopping bags.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
“You’d be getting a phone call from me about an hour after we say goodbye, confessing all,” Seehorn answers, smiling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
On Wednesday night, Grafström was pictured smiling alongside Infantino at a women’s Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
I stood there smiling for a minute, giving that tree a chance to believe what I was saying.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
