Martin GardnerSheila Rowlands
Synonyms
Examples of smile in a Sentence
Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
When asked about the issue ahead of the Heisman Trophy presentation, Newton just smiled.
—John Affleck, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
The women barely looked at each other or smiled, and appeared to take pains to stare straight ahead after entering the church.
—Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
In a dismal virtual future, Enzo’s faith is restored after meeting vivacious neighbor Valentina, who teaches him to smile again though the world around them is falling apart.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 28 Nov. 2023
Frail but alert and smiling, the two made their last public appearance together in September when they were driven around the Plains Peanut Festival.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Brooks smiled throughout the conversation, but he was clearly exasperated.
—Robert Samuels, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
Fun patterns include bags decorated with martians, pandas, and smiling eggplants.
—Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
Learn how to make this classic strawberry-pretzel salad, and make everyone smile with joy when this nostalgic dish is on the table.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2023
Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
My dad would beam a huge smile after Santa left him a bottle of HUGO Boss aftershave and a large box of Lindt chocolates.
—Lipi Roy, Md, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
In a pivotal scene towards the film’s end, Kitty’s deposition showcases her with a smirk and a smile, bringing her character’s complexities to fruition.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Diana wore an asymmetric outfit with sparkling statement earrings and looked into the camera with a slight smile in the black and white snap, which is listed with the National Portrait Gallery in London.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
After a cocktail reception across the street, guests made their way into the grand space, where they were greeted by large posters that displayed the warm smiles of young girls whose lives have been changed thanks to UNICEF’s tireless efforts to provide education and support.
—Maia Torres, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2023
And any effort expended to make one’s way through life with a smile.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2023
Not a bold statement look, this was soft and subtle makeup at its best, and just might account for Pfeiffer’s ear-to-ear smile.
—Georgia Day, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023
The beginning of a smile formed upon his thin lips.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Verb
Middle English smilen, going back to a Germanic verbal base *smil-, *smīl- (from earlier *smei̯l-) "smile," probably an extension with -l- of Indo-European *smei̯- "laugh, smile," whence Old Church Slavic smějǫ sę, smijati sę "to laugh," Latvian smeju, smiêt "to laugh, mock," Tocharian B smi- "smile," Sanskrit smáyate "(s/he) smiles," and with a -d- extension in Greek meidiáein "to smile," philomeidḗs "with a friendly smile," Latvian smaida "smile," smaidît "to smile, mock"
Note: The comparative set for this Germanic etymon do not show clear descent from a single form, perhaps due to its affective character. There is no attested Old English ancestor of Middle English smilen; a Scandinavian source has been suggested, but Danish smile "to smile" and Swedish smila, not attested before the 17th century, could be loans from an unattested Middle Low German verb. Old High German has smilenter (glossing Latin subridens "smiling"), with presumed long vowel, continued by Middle High German smielen. Kiliaen's 1599 Dutch dictionary enters smuylen "subridere," apparently with a different vocalism. Parallel to these are a group of forms with -r- rather than -l-: Old English smerian "to laugh, scorn," Old High German smierēn, smierōn (with e2?) "to smile," Old English bismerian and Old High German bismerōn "to mock, insult," and, with different vocalism, Old English smǣr, smǣre "lip(s)," gālsmǣre "inclined to laugh, frivolous." The forms with -r- have been compared with Sanskrit (Vedic) á-smera- "not bashful, confiding," and particularly with Latin mīrus "remarkable, amazing," presumed to be derivative of a neuter *mīrum, going back to a noun *smei̯-ro- "laughter, smiling," (though a semantic shift from "laughter" to "astonishment" is questionable).
Noun
Middle English smyle, derivative of smilen "to smile entry 1"
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing smile
Dictionary Entries Near smile
Cite this Entry
“Smile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smile. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
smile
1 of 2 verbsmile
2 of 2 noun
More from Merriam-Webster on smile
Nglish: Translation of smile for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of smile for Arabic Speakers
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