smiley

[smahy-lee]

See more synonyms for smiley on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural smil·eys. Also called smiley face.

a digital icon, a sequence of keyboard symbols, or a handwritten or printed equivalent, that serves to represent a facial expression, as :‐) for a smiling face or ;‐) for a winking face.Compare emoticon.
Usually smile face. a drawing of a face consisting of a usually yellow circle with an upturned curve for a smile and two dots for eyes.

adjective

cheerful; smiling.

Origin of smiley

1985–90

Smiley

[smahy-lee]

noun

Jane,born 1949, U.S. novelist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for smiley

Contemporary Examples

Smiley, meanwhile, tried to tamp down fears by comparing the Ebola outbreak to the SARS outbreak of 2003.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: October 19
PunditFact.com
October 19, 2014
Smiley is a PBS talk show host who has written several previous books about the African-American experience.
Tavis Smiley Humanely Chronicles MLK’s Sad Last Year
Scott Porch
October 16, 2014
Smiley, by contrast, knew exactly what mistakes he was making as he committed and concealed them.
The Million-Dollar Map Thief
Nick Romeo
July 30, 2014
The disparity has left some dealers convinced that maps Smiley stole now hang on the walls of private collectors around the world.
The Million-Dollar Map Thief
Nick Romeo
July 30, 2014
“It was no brute whom Smiley was pursuing with such mastery, no unqualified fanatic after all, no automaton,” le Carré writes.
Iran’s Top Spy Is the Modern-Day Karla, John Le Carré’s Villainous Mastermind
Michael Weiss
July 2, 2014

Historical Examples

"It is the most natural thing in the world to me," said Mrs. Smiley.
The Shadow World
Hamlin Garland
Part of the time Mrs. Smiley was awake and sorely grieved at her failure.
The Shadow World
Hamlin Garland
Mrs. Smiley was in great distress of mind over the failure of her powers.
The Shadow World
Hamlin Garland
It happened during the second sitting I ever had with Mrs. Smiley.
The Shadow World
Hamlin Garland
But all this was inconclusive, for the reason that Mrs. Smiley was not fastened as she is now.
The Shadow World
Hamlin Garland

British Dictionary definitions for smiley

smiley

adjective

given to smiling; cheerful
depicting a smilea smiley badge

noun

any of a group of symbols depicting a smile, or other facial expression, used in electronic mail

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

Word Origin and History for smiley

adj.

also smily, "inclined to smile," 1848, from smile (n.) + -y (2). Smiley-face (n.) is from 1981; as a computer icon from 1987.

smiley

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}smiley

Smiley

Examples from the Web for smiley

Contemporary Examples

Smiley, meanwhile, tried to tamp down fears by comparing the Ebola outbreak to the SARS outbreak of 2003.

Smiley is a PBS talk show host who has written several previous books about the African-American experience.

Smiley, by contrast, knew exactly what mistakes he was making as he committed and concealed them.

The disparity has left some dealers convinced that maps Smiley stole now hang on the walls of private collectors around the world.

“It was no brute whom Smiley was pursuing with such mastery, no unqualified fanatic after all, no automaton,” le Carré writes.

Historical Examples

"It is the most natural thing in the world to me," said Mrs. Smiley.

Part of the time Mrs. Smiley was awake and sorely grieved at her failure.

Mrs. Smiley was in great distress of mind over the failure of her powers.

It happened during the second sitting I ever had with Mrs. Smiley.

But all this was inconclusive, for the reason that Mrs. Smiley was not fastened as she is now.

smiley

Word Origin and History for smiley

adj.

Origin of smiley