smiley

1 of 2

adjective

smil·​ey ˈsmī-lē 

: having a smile : smiling often

smiley kids

smiley

2 of 2

noun

: emoticon

Examples of smiley in a Sentence

Adjective

She's a very smiley kid.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The trend itself isn’t new — smiley piercings have existed for years. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2026

Sources told the outlet that the pair had a smiley chat, while White's date was also seen rubbing his leg. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 1 June 2026

Noun

Go bright and bold with florals and smileys in a neon green and white palette. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 1 Mar. 2026

Even better, Liu does it all while flaunting her signature bleached halo-dye hairstyle and smiley piercing. — Jasmine Wynn, Time, 9 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for smiley face

First Known Use

Adjective

1848, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1987, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing smiley

• smiley face

Rhymes for smiley

• dryly
• highly
• kiley
• shyly
• slyly
• wily
• wryly

Kids Definition

smiley

1 of 2 adjective

smil·​ey ˈsmī-lē 

: exhibiting a smile : frequently smiling

smiley

2 of 2 noun

: emoticon