smirk

American  

[smurk] / smɜrk /

verb (used without object)

smirks, present (3rd person singular) smirked, past participle, past smirking present participle

1. to smile in an affected, smug, or offensively familiar way.

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noun

smirks plural

1. the facial expression of a person who smirks.

smirk British  

/ smɜːk /

noun

1. a smile expressing scorn, smugness, etc, rather than pleasure

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verb

1. (intr) to give such a smile

2. (tr) to express with such a smile

Usage

What does smirk mean? A smirk is a kind of smile, but it’s not a friendly smile—it’s often a sarcastic or arrogant one or one that’s intended to provoke or irritate the person who sees it. Smirk is also a verb that means to smile in such a way. People often smirk to show contempt for someone or something—such as by smirking at a person who’s angry at them. Sometimes, though, the word simply refers to a kind of slight smile or a smile that looks like a smirk usually does—a baby might smirk, for example, obviously without meaning anything by it. Example: Wipe that smirk off your face and take this seriously!

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• smirker
  noun
• smirking
  adjective
• unsmirking
  adjective
• smirkingly
  adverb
• unsmirkingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• smirks
  plural

Participles

• smirking
  present
• smirked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• smirk
  simple
• smirks
  simple
• have smirked
  perfect
• has smirked
  perfect
• am smirking
  progressive
• are smirking
  progressive
• is smirking
  progressive
• have been smirking
  perfect progressive
• has been smirking
  perfect progressive

Past

• smirked
  simple
• had smirked
  perfect
• was smirking
  progressive
• were smirking
  progressive
• had been smirking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will smirk
  simple
• will have smirked
  perfect
• will be smirking
  progressive
• will have been smirking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of smirk

First recorded before 900; Middle English smirken (verb), Old English sme(a)rcian

Explanation

A smirk is specific kind of smile, one that suggests self-satisfaction, smugness, or even pleasure at someone else's unhappiness or misfortune. Smirk can function as either a noun or a verb: "Wipe that smirk off your face. Don't smirk at me, buddy: you're gonna get yours next!" A smirk implies you think you're better than the person you're smirking at. Ever heard of the term "service with a smile"? Yeah, well, there's a reason it's not "service with a smirk."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smirk smirks smirked smirking

“Make sure you finish the job in your second,” Newsom tells Bass with a tilt of the head and a smirk.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

Moments later when the score flashed across the screen, Liu simply cracked a subtle smirk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

On Chinese social media, pictures show some users sticking couplets or upside down pictures of Malfoy's signature smirk.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026

Cignetti, smiling through that permanent I told ya so smirk, brushed off Indiana’s new status as the No. 1 heavy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 7, 2025

And the smile on that ghastly orange pumpkin face looked more like a wicked smirk.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

The leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois, Yves‑Francois Blanchet, drew smirks with his May critique of Alberta's prospective independence.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

"I understand that to agree on something, there must be protocol, you cannot just slap Putin in the face when he arrives. But it was a very unpleasant spectacle – especially his smirks."

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2025

Eric Dailey Jr., whose smirks and antics charged the crowd every time he was shown on the videoboard, scored a career-high 25 points.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2025

When it’s mentioned about the dart-throwing scene in the popular Apple TV series “Ted Lasso,” Kirby smirks.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 19, 2024

“A girl,” Werner says in French, “did you see—?” but the interpreter only smirks and says something to the clerk in English, as though every German soldier he has interviewed has asked about a girl.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

When the fighters eventually stepped forward for the obligatory face-off, Dubois looked away first as Wardley smirked.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

While the president has said he won’t make the official announcement until early next year, Trump smirked when reporters asked if it would be Hassett, which many have taken as a positive signal.

From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025

Some have smirked that the East Wing doesn’t matter much because it is primarily the province of first ladies, but that is a bizarre argument for its destruction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025

According to Marcotte, Sung smirked and said she hasn’t done her research on the restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2025

Jabir smirked the way he usually did when he was about to gossip.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Mr. Powell, smirking and smug, tells his life story to a visiting priest who drops by his cell for a last conversation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

Members of Gen Alpha, it added, might be "smirking at the thought of adults once again struggling to make sense of your notoriously slippery slang."

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025

During this whole interaction, Nate is just smirking and laughing along cause yeah, at this point Andy thinks it’s pretty silly too.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2025

Erivo blasted a fan-edited ‘Wicked’ poster that shows her with smirking red lips and a dark shadow over her eyes from her wide-brimmed witch hat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2024

He was wagging his head and smirking again.

From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• grin
• sneer