smile

1 of 2

verb

ˈsmī(-ə)l How to pronounce smile (audio)
smiled; smiling
Synonyms of smilenext

intransitive verb

1
: to have, produce, or exhibit a smile
2
a
: to look or regard with amusement or ridicule
smiled at his own folly—Martin Gardner
b
: to bestow approval
feeling that Heaven smiled on his labors—Sheila Rowlands
c
: to appear pleasant or agreeable

transitive verb

1
: to affect with or by smiling
2
: to express by a smile
smiler noun
smilingly
ˈsmī-liŋ-lē How to pronounce smile (audio)
adverb

smile

2 of 2

noun

1
: a facial expression in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward and which expresses especially amusement, pleasure, approval, or sometimes scorn
2
: a pleasant or encouraging appearance
smileless
ˈsmī(-ə)l-ləs How to pronounce smile (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of smile in a Sentence

Verb The photographer asked us to smile for the camera. She smiled when she saw him. Both parents smiled their approval. Noun He greeted me with a big smile.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The two pairs of BFFs sit around a booth, finishing each other’s stories and smiling a lot. —Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024 In two of the pictures, the duo smiles like normal, but in the last, the two indulge in a little duck face moment. —Victoria Edel, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
Asking the exuberant centenarian to take a second call by FaceTime so that her beautiful smile could be seen was not an option. —Scott Talley, Detroit Free Press, 3 Nov. 2024 Nevertheless, this performance is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for smile 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English smilen, going back to a Germanic verbal base *smil-, *smīl- (from earlier *smei̯l-) "smile," probably an extension with -l- of Indo-European *smei̯- "laugh, smile," whence Old Church Slavic smějǫ sę, smijati sę "to laugh," Latvian smeju, smiêt "to laugh, mock," Tocharian B smi- "smile," Sanskrit smáyate "(s/he) smiles," and with a -d- extension in Greek meidiáein "to smile," philomeidḗs "with a friendly smile," Latvian smaida "smile," smaidît "to smile, mock"

Note: The comparative set for this Germanic etymon do not show clear descent from a single form, perhaps due to its affective character. There is no attested Old English ancestor of Middle English smilen; a Scandinavian source has been suggested, but Danish smile "to smile" and Swedish smila, not attested before the 17th century, could be loans from an unattested Middle Low German verb. Old High German has smilenter (glossing Latin subridens "smiling"), with presumed long vowel, continued by Middle High German smielen. Kiliaen's 1599 Dutch dictionary enters smuylen "subridere," apparently with a different vocalism. Parallel to these are a group of forms with -r- rather than -l-: Old English smerian "to laugh, scorn," Old High German smierēn, smierōn (with e2?) "to smile," Old English bismerian and Old High German bismerōn "to mock, insult," and, with different vocalism, Old English smǣr, smǣre "lip(s)," gālsmǣre "inclined to laugh, frivolous." The forms with -r- have been compared with Sanskrit (Vedic) á-smera- "not bashful, confiding," and particularly with Latin mīrus "remarkable, amazing," presumed to be derivative of a neuter *mīrum, going back to a noun *smei̯-ro- "laughter, smiling," (though a semantic shift from "laughter" to "astonishment" is questionable).

Noun

Middle English smyle, derivative of smilen "to smile entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smile was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing smile

Dictionary Entries Near smile

smilax

smile

smile from ear to ear

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Smile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smile. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

smile

1 of 2 verb
ˈsmī(ə)l How to pronounce smile (audio)
smiled; smiling
1
: to have, produce, or exhibit a smile
2
a
: to look with amusement or ridicule
b
: to be fortunate or agreeable
the weather smiled on our plans
3
: to express by a smile
both parents smiled their approval
smiler noun
smilingly
ˈsmī-liŋ-lē How to pronounce smile (audio)
adverb

smile

2 of 2 noun
: a change of facial expression in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward especially in expression of amusement, pleasure, approval, or sometimes scorn

More from Merriam-Webster on smile

Nglish: Translation of smile for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of smile for Arabic Speakers

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