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

But what differentiates them from some of their peers is the unyielding pace of their live shows, all of it delivered with the grinning joy of playing rock ‘n’ roll. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

In one photo, the family of four posed together on the beach with Sybil sporting a playful pout while the rest of the bunch grinned. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Noun

Kansas City Boy Kelce sported his trademark grin on the way to the field during the Chiefs training block at Missouri Western State University on July 30. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 23 Aug. 2026

At the end of the video, Enciso panned to his face, which was stretched into a huge grin. — Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 15 Aug. 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