Definition of grin
grinned
;grinning
intransitive verb
: to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth especially in amusement or laughter; broadly : smile grinning from ear to ear
grin
noungrinner
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of grin in a Sentence
She continued to tease her brother, grinning wickedly.
grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool
Recent Examples of grin from the Web
-
A photo posted on the magazine’s website shows the grinning 31-year-old wearing just a pair of black pants after reaching the summit.
-
The 11th grader, who took grinning selfies of himself and both of his new hooved friends, said having the animals on campus helped relieve the stress of studies.
-
Despite a season of much struggle on and off the field, Harvey grinned.
-
The black and white photos of a grinning 20-something pilot standing proudly in front of his plane, or on the deck of his aircraft carrier are safely tucked behind plastic sheets.
-
In a photo that quickly went viral, Pope Francis posed next to the president with a dour look while Trump grinned.
-
Still, in photos of an initial meeting, Francis seemed to scowl while Trump grinned broadly.
-
As the crowd went crazy, Izzo folded his arms, looked around the building and grinned.
-
In a Tweet Wednesday morning, Abbott pictured himself with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull -- both grinning in their new headwear.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grin'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of grin
Middle English grennen, from Old English grennian; akin to Old High German grennen to snarl
First Known Use: before 12th century
GRIN Defined for English Language Learners
GRIN Defined for Kids
Definition of grin for Students
grinned
;grinning
: to smile broadly showing teeth
Learn More about grin
-
See words that rhyme with grin Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grin Spanish Central: Translation of grin Nglish: Translation of grin for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grin for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up grin? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!