smirk

American  

[smurk] / smɜrk /

verb (used without object)

smirks, present (3rd person singular) smirked, past participle, past smirking present participle

1. to smile in an affected, smug, or offensively familiar way.

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noun

smirks plural

1. the facial expression of a person who smirks.

smirk British  

/ smɜːk /

noun

1. a smile expressing scorn, smugness, etc, rather than pleasure

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verb

1. (intr) to give such a smile

2. (tr) to express with such a smile

Usage

What does smirk mean? A smirk is a kind of smile, but it’s not a friendly smile—it’s often a sarcastic or arrogant one or one that’s intended to provoke or irritate the person who sees it. Smirk is also a verb that means to smile in such a way. People often smirk to show contempt for someone or something—such as by smirking at a person who’s angry at them. Sometimes, though, the word simply refers to a kind of slight smile or a smile that looks like a smirk usually does—a baby might smirk, for example, obviously without meaning anything by it. Example: Wipe that smirk off your face and take this seriously!

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• smirker
  noun
• smirking
  adjective
• unsmirking
  adjective
• smirkingly
  adverb
• unsmirkingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• smirks
  plural

Participles

• smirking
  present
• smirked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• smirk
  simple
• smirks
  simple
• have smirked
  perfect
• has smirked
  perfect
• am smirking
  progressive
• are smirking
  progressive
• is smirking
  progressive
• have been smirking
  perfect progressive
• has been smirking
  perfect progressive

Past

• smirked
  simple
• had smirked
  perfect
• was smirking
  progressive
• were smirking
  progressive
• had been smirking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will smirk
  simple
• will have smirked
  perfect
• will be smirking
  progressive
• will have been smirking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of smirk

First recorded before 900; Middle English smirken (verb), Old English sme(a)rcian

Explanation

A smirk is specific kind of smile, one that suggests self-satisfaction, smugness, or even pleasure at someone else's unhappiness or misfortune. Smirk can function as either a noun or a verb: "Wipe that smirk off your face. Don't smirk at me, buddy: you're gonna get yours next!" A smirk implies you think you're better than the person you're smirking at. Ever heard of the term "service with a smile"? Yeah, well, there's a reason it's not "service with a smirk."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smirk smirks smirked smirking

Then the artist’s acquiescence gives way to a defiant smirk: “But I want the bird to win.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

On Chinese social media, pictures show some users sticking couplets or upside down pictures of Malfoy's signature smirk.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026

More than one friend, he said with a smirk, had asked him how to do so: They “say, ‘Roger, I need your help.

From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2026

“All because my dad hit his head at this park,” Soboroff says with a smirk, recalling the incident that set off his father’s community safety efforts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2026

Britt-Marie and Laury both draw back in surprise, then look at each other before shifting their gazes between me and him and starting to smirk and make their eyebrows dance.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

Fernando, in true writer form, smirks when asked about being at the Ateneo and does his best Groucho Marx, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.”

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

The Japanese trio come on stage with serious, even imposing, expressions, but it was not long before they couldn't help themselves – first with a few smirks and then breaking out into infectious grins.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

The leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois, Yves‑Francois Blanchet, drew smirks with his May critique of Alberta's prospective independence.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

Xavi smirks and sings back to them, creating an even bigger commotion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2025

Janae and I glance at each other, and she smirks.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

During their meeting at the Kremlin, Putin smirked when Pashinyan boasted about freedoms in his country.

From BBC ● May 3, 2026

While the president has said he won’t make the official announcement until early next year, Trump smirked when reporters asked if it would be Hassett, which many have taken as a positive signal.

From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025

Some have smirked that the East Wing doesn’t matter much because it is primarily the province of first ladies, but that is a bizarre argument for its destruction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025

She showed me a photo of a kitten she rescued and smirked.

From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2024

Håkon smirked, the first non-grimace Anya had seen on him since he’d changed into a human.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Now that I have done so, I picture Harper smirking at me, suddenly bored by how easy adults are to manipulate and already thinking of some new mischief to get up to.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 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

Every corner I turned, there I was, smirking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025

The way Dad’s lips are smirking makes me want to storm into the house, but I’m determined to do this sit-in.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• grin
• sneer