smiley

1 of 2

adjective

smil·​ey ˈsmī-lē 

: having a smile : smiling often

smiley kids

smiley

2 of 2

noun

: emoticon

Examples of smiley in a Sentence

Adjective

She's a very smiley kid.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Abbott stars in the show, alongside Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, and a smiley Plaza was in tow to show her support. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 10 Aug. 2026

His smiley story of slapping a $5 bill on Jalen Carter’s chest after the defensive tackle’s contract extension contributes to a preseason energy that feels a lot like when Hurts and Nick Sirianni rode out of practice together on a golf cart in 2024. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Noun

The victim was alert, coherent, playful, smiley, and feeding normally. — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026

Kardashian looked outdoorsy in a red bandana and T-shirt and gray hoodie, in a shot with son Psalm and a smiley selfie with daughter Chicago and Hamilton. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for smiley face

First Known Use

Adjective

1848, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1987, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing smiley

• smiley face

Rhymes for smiley

• dryly
• highly
• kiley
• shyly
• slyly
• wily
• wryly

Kids Definition

smiley

1 of 2 adjective

smil·​ey ˈsmī-lē 

: exhibiting a smile : frequently smiling

smiley

2 of 2 noun

: emoticon