grin

1 of 2

verb

ˈgrin 

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

ˈgri-niŋ-lē 

adverb

grin

2 of 2

noun

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.]

Synonyms

Verb

• beam
• smile

Examples of grin in a Sentence

Verb

She continued to tease her brother, grinning wickedly.

grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

On Friday, the White House's social media accounts posted a photo of Vaughn posing with a grinning President Trump behind the Resolute desk. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2025

Avery sinks a couple of shots, grinning a crooked smile. —Laura A. Bischoff, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025

Noun

In a video that went viral on TikTok in February, he was seen with a huge grin on his face and rocking side-to-side while talking to attendees. —Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Now, the car was raring and ready to go, as Hawley encouraged my efforts with a wry grin. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English grennen, from Old English grennian; akin to Old High German grennen to snarl

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1565, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing grin

• grin and bear it
• grin from ear to ear
• wear a silly grin/smile on one's face
• wipe the grin off his face

Rhymes for grin

• been
• bin
• chin
• din
• djinn
• fin
• finn
• gin
• in
• kin
• linn
• linne

Kids Definition

grin

verb

ˈgrin 

grinned; grinning

: to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth especially in laughter

grin noun