grin

verb \ ˈgrin \

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

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grin

noun

—

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

The reporters take pictures of him grinning with it — like a cartoon lion with a cartoon steak.

— joseph hincks / hong kong, Time, "This Is How It Feels to Eat 13-Year-Old Steak," 30 Aug. 2017
Which is why, earlier this summer, chef Humm and Guidara tore the dining room apart (one of them spray-painting the walls, grinning like a maniac the whole time; the other, not so much) and moved the whole operation east for the season.

— the editors of gq, GQ, "Watch Eleven Madison Park, the World's Best Restaurant, Get Demolished and Be Reborn," 19 July 2017
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who now will wear Los Angeles Lakers purple and gold for at least one season, grinned sheepishly as team president and hype man Magic Johnson preached Tuesday afternoon at the team’s practice facility.

— vince ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Are the Detroit Pistons right? Or will Kentavious Caldwell-Pope win his bet?," 19 July 2017
The child stands between the two adults, wearing a rainbow hat and carrying a matching flag, grinning from ear to ear.

— de elizabeth, Allure, "Neil Patrick Harris Calls Out James Woods Over Tweet About Makeup-Wearing Boy," 13 July 2017
Paleontologists have known this for decades now, pulling one grinning mysticete after another from strata all over the world.

— brian switek, Scientific American Blog Network, "Paleo Profile: The Crown Tooth," 10 July 2017
A portrait of Vladimir Putin sitting at the Resolute Desk and grinning like a maniac.

— jay willis, GQ, "16 Tasteful Gifts Donald Trump Could Give to Vladimir Putin When They Meet Next Week," 29 June 2017
The two rappers were performing at the event and video obtained by TMZ shows Rocky grinning on stage while Lamar gave him a birthday shout-out.

— maria mercedes lara, PEOPLE.com, "A$AP Rocky Allegedly Rushed During Kendrick Lamar's Performance at Pre-BET Party," 25 June 2017
Paul Fattig, a retired journalist, grins sitting at his desk in a writing den in the loft that hovers above the living room.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "The ultimate fixer upper: A charred, vandalized cabin becomes a writer's home (before and after photos)," 22 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

grin Synonyms

Synonyms

beam, smile

Related Words

laugh, simper; smirk, sneer

Near Antonyms

grimace; frown, glare, gloom, glower, lower (also lour), scowl; pout, sulk

GRIN Defined for English Language Learners

grin

verb

Definition of grin for English Language Learners

: to smile widely

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

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grin

Definition of grin

grin

grinner

grinningly

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Examples of grin in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of grin

grin Synonyms

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GRIN Defined for English Language Learners

grin

Definition of grin for English Language Learners

GRIN Defined for Kids

grin

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grin

Definition of grin for Students

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