grin

¹

[ grin ]

verb (used without object)

, grinned, grin·ning.

1. to smile broadly, especially as an indication of pleasure, amusement, or the like.

   Synonyms: crack a smile, smirk, smile, beam

   Antonyms: glare, frown

2. to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth, as a snarling dog or a person in pain.
3. to show or be exposed through an opening, crevice, etc.

verb (used with object)

, grinned, grin·ning.

1. to express or produce by grinning:

   The little boy grinned his approval of the gift.

noun

1. a broad smile.
2. the act of producing a broad smile.
3. the act of withdrawing the lips and showing the teeth, as in anger or pain.

grin

²

[ grin ]

noun

1. Chiefly Scot. a snare like a running noose.

verb (used with object)

, grinned, grin·ning.

1. Archaic. to catch in a nooselike snare.

grin

/ ɡrɪn /

verb

1. to smile with the lips drawn back revealing the teeth or express (something) by such a smile

   to grin a welcome

2. intr to draw back the lips revealing the teeth, as in a snarl or grimace
3. grin and bear it informal.
   grin and bear it to suffer trouble or hardship without complaint

noun

1. a broad smile
2. a snarl or grimace

Derived Forms

• ˈgrinning, adjectivenoun
• ˈgrinner, noun

Other Words From

• grinner noun
• grinning·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of grin¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English grinnen, grennen, Old English grennian; cognate with Old High German grennan “to mutter”

Origin of grin²

First recorded before 900; Middle English grin(e), grinne, Old English grin, gryn

Word History and Origins

Origin of grin¹

Old English grennian; related to Old High German grennen to snarl, Old Norse grenja to howl; see grunt

Synonym Study

See laugh.

Example Sentences

Out of disguise, the masked outlaw who duels with a grin and woos with ardor, morphs into blasé upper-cruster Don Diego Vega, who suffers from overrefinement and chronic fatigue.

From Washington Post

Otherwise, I could watch the bonhomie—lots of backslapping and broad grins, like the first day of summer camp—from a distance.

From Fortune

When they close their mouths, they still have a toothy grin — their bottom teeth stick out and up.

From Science News For Students

All modern crocodilians are long, scaly animals with stumpy legs and toothy grins.

From Science News For Students

O’Neal participates, sideways grin glued to his face, knowing he can’t possibly win.

From FiveThirtyEight

Then, with a grin, “And we all know how degenerate those people are.”

From The Daily Beast

Through it all, Chris Hughes nodded approvingly, an unnerving grin on his face.

From The Daily Beast

As the driver bios appeared on the jumbo screen, I flashed a toothy grin after noticing that two of them were women.

From The Daily Beast

With a puckish grin, he ordered his entourage, including several generals, to line up and join him in—how shall one put it?

From The Daily Beast

As Hunter waved it in the air, light flashed off his Colgate-commercial-ready grin.

From The Daily Beast

This gave the house a very cheerful appearance, as if it were constantly on a broad grin.

From Project Gutenberg

That embrace, that grin and that heart-born exclamation marked the entrance of the Pulsifer family into my life.

From Project Gutenberg

But he watched Grandfather Mole narrowly, with a grin on his face, to see what the old chap would do.

From Project Gutenberg

When Tom Brown awoke, late in the day, he found Mafuta sitting at his feet with a broad grin on his dusky countenance.

From Project Gutenberg

I should say, replied Master Bates, with a grin, that he was uncommon sweet upon Betsy.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• smirk