smirk
verb (used without object)
to smile in an affected, smug, or offensively familiar way.
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.
There's also a story about a teenage Prince Andrew smirking in a church service because the priest used the word "womb".
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
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
It was awful at home when we practiced, and Dad would walk smirking through the house with wads of cotton sticking prominently from his ears.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
