grin

verb \ ˈgrin \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Examples: grin in a Sentence

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

—

grinner

noun

—

grinningly

play \ˈgri-niŋ-lē\ adverb

See grin defined for English-language learners

See grin defined for kids

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

LeBron James is grinning, with headphones still in his ears, a pen sitting on a large wooden table and before him the stack of paper that made the next phase of his life official.

— tania ganguli, latimes.com, "It's official: LeBron James signs $153.3-million contract with Lakers," 10 July 2018
And along the way everybody else who this book is about just needs to grin and bear it.

— rebecca asoulin, The Christian Science Monitor, "Romantic or racist? Perceptions shift on 'Little House on the Prairie'," 9 July 2018
Barnes then threw Torres a 3-and-0 curveball, a pitch so absurd even Torres had to grin.

— si.com staff, SI.com, "Nine Innings: The Fear-Inducing Yankees, Examining MLB's Trends and Banning the Shift," 14 May 2018
Morrow will just have to grin and bear it, at least until the next strange Cubs injury comes along.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Brandon Morrow not fretting over people mocking his back injury," 20 June 2018
When Hamilton made his first-inning catch, perhaps his best defensive highlight of the season in front of 23,042 fans, Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani grinned and raised his arm in the air.

— bobby nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "Billy Hamilton's defense, 3 runs lead the Cincinnati Reds past the Pittsburgh Pirates," 17 June 2018
Perhaps the best approach is to just grin and bear it...

— neil steinberg, CNN, "How many types of smile are there?," 13 June 2018
At one point, Mr. Kim grinned and gave a cheerful wave to a crowd gathered at one of his tour stops.

— chun han wong and eun-young jeong, WSJ, "Kim Jong Un, Sightseeing Dictator, Takes Selfies in Singapore," 11 June 2018
And again, in made-to-measure black tie by über-luxe Italian label Brunello Cucinelli, grinning while photobombing White House officials Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway on the red carpet at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

— rachel dodes, Vanities, "Michael Avenatti Is “Very Flattered” That You Think He’s a Style Icon," 17 May 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

grin Synonyms

grin

noun

Definition of grin

plural grins

: a facial expression produced by grinning especially in pleasure or amusement

a happy grin

She grew into a nimble young girl of seven winters, a thoughtful girl with shining brown eyes and a wide grin …
—Louise Erdrich

I wanted to wipe the grin off his face [=make him stop smiling.]

First Known Use of grin

1565

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

GRIN Defined for Kids

grin

verb \ ˈgrin \

Definition of grin for Students

grinned; grinning

: to smile broadly showing teeth

grin

noun

Definition of grin for Students

: a broad smile that shows 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

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grin

Definition of grin

grinner

grinningly

Examples of grin in a Sentence

Recent Examples of grin from the Web

Origin and Etymology of grin

grin Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

grin

Definition of grin

First Known Use of grin

Phrases Related to GRIN

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GRIN Defined for Kids

grin

Definition of grin for Students

grin

Definition of grin for Students

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