grin

1 of 3

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 3

noun (1)

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.]

grinner

3 of 3

noun (2)

grin·​ner

ˈgrinə(r)

plural -s

: one that grins

Synonyms of grin

Verb

• smile
• laugh

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

Both Ruto, behind the wheel, and Chivayo are seen laughing, with Chivayo's wife grinning from the back seat. — Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026

In photos obtained by the Daily Mail, the singer could be seen smiling in the back seat of an SUV while her soccer player boyfriend of two years grinned from the front seat. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 28 Sep. 2026

Noun

Even though Gordon usually sports a cheesy grin due to his upbeat nature, producing his first 100-yard rushing performance and scoring his second touchdown of the 2026 season on nine carries warranted a toothy smile. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

And then Chambliss drew the Tigers offsides not once but twice, the quarterback grinning a Cheshire grin after the second, as if LSU had fallen into his trap. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun (2)

Middle English grennare, from grennen, grinnen to grin + -are, -er -er

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

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