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Synonyms

smiley

1 American  
[smahy-lee] / ˈsmaɪ li /

noun

plural

smileys
  1. 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.

  2. 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

  1. cheerful; smiling.

Smiley 2 American  
[smahy-lee] / ˈsmaɪ li /

noun

  1. Jane, born 1949, U.S. novelist.


smiley British  
/ ˈsmaɪlɪ /

adjective

  1. given to smiling; cheerful

  2. depicting a smile

    a smiley badge

"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

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of smiley

1985–90

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.

When she finished, she felt happy and sad at the same time, because the ending was warm and smiley but she didn’t want to say good-bye to the people in the book.

From Literature

She was "really smiley and happy," Grace said, thanking everyone for their support.

From BBC

At January’s conference, robots, including Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, a 6-foot-2-inch automaton weighing in at just under 200 pounds with a digital smiley face, were the stars.

From Barron's

On top of the squiggles are a scattering of tiny shapes—a cup, a slipper, a smiley face.

From Literature

One word expressions or smiley faces scrawled on cups with Sharpies won’t cut it, some workers said.

From The Wall Street Journal