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

Try to snag a pair of the fall drop’s ultra-low kitten heels or a certain color of the smiley luggage pouches before they’re all snapped up? — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Like many, they were enamored by how an ordinary family’s home had become a small-batch coffee roastery with warm wooden accents and smiley acorn pillows to round out its welcoming aesthetic. — Lauren Ng, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Noun

Luckily — or maybe unluckily — the camp’s warden, a hardbitten guy with an oily smile named Clancy (Russell Crowe, hardbitten, smiley, and oily), takes a liking to Murphy. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

Branding instead comes in the form of the Cactus Jack smiley logo getting pressed into the shoe’s lateral side. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 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