simper

[ sim-per ]

/ ˈsɪm pər /

verb (used without object)

to smile in a silly, self-conscious way.

verb (used with object)

to say with a simper.

noun

a silly, self-conscious smile.

RELATED WORDS

sneer, smirk, leer, grin, beam

Nearby words

simonson, simony, simoom, simp, simpatico, simper, simple, simple absence, simple algebraic extension, simple arc, simple carbohydrate

Origin of simper

1555–65; akin to Middle Dutch zimperlijc, dialectal Danish simper affected, Danish sippe affected woman, orig. one who sips (see sip), a way of drinking thought to be affected

SYNONYMS FOR simper

1, 3 smirk, snigger, snicker.

Related forms

sim·per·er, nounsim·per·ing·ly, adverbun·sim·per·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for simpered

How the great cable must have simpered with the foolishness of it.
The Sick-a-Bed Lady|Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
It was a large room, with heavy wainscoting, above which simpered or frowned a long row of her ancestors.
Sandy|Alice Hegan Rice
Rex paraded the room with mincing steps, and simpered at his own reflection in the looking-glass.
Sisters Three|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
He simpered and tried to turn semi-savage, and was simply ridiculous.
Summer Cruising in the South Seas|Charles Warren Stoddard

"I shall hold you to your promise, M'sieu," she simpered at last.
A Traitor's Wooing|Headon Hill

British Dictionary definitions for simpered

simper

/ (ˈsɪmpə) /

verb

(intr) to smile coyly, affectedly, or in a silly self-conscious way

(tr) to utter (something) in a simpering manner

noun

a simpering smile; smirk

Derived Forms

simperer, nounsimpering, adjective, nounsimperingly, adverb

Word Origin for simper

C16: probably from Dutch simper affected

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012