smile

1 of 2

verb

ˈsmī(-ə)l 

smiled; smiling

intransitive verb

1

: to have, produce, or exhibit a smile

2

a

: to look or regard with amusement or ridicule

… smiled at his own folly …

—Martin Gardner

b

: to bestow approval

… feeling that Heaven smiled on his labors.

—Sheila Rowlands

c

: to appear pleasant or agreeable

transitive verb

1

: to affect with or by smiling

2

: to express by a smile

smiler noun

smilingly

ˈsmī-liŋ-lē 

adverb

smile

2 of 2

noun

1

: a facial expression in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward and which expresses especially amusement, pleasure, approval, or sometimes scorn

2

: a pleasant or encouraging appearance

smileless

ˈsmī(-ə)l-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms of smile

Verb

• grin
• laugh

Examples of smile in a Sentence

Verb

The photographer asked us to smile for the camera.

She smiled when she saw him.

Both parents smiled their approval.

Noun

He greeted me with a big smile.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Among the reactions that survived, one user posted a thumbs up emoji and another left a smiling face. —Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025

Understandably excited, Quayle couldn’t resist a playful shoulder punch to the older, reserved Bush, who smiled awkwardly. —Time, 3 Nov. 2025

Noun

Hong Kong — Xi Jinping is not known for his easy smiles. —Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025

Fixed with a seemingly permanent half-smile — detractors called it a smirk — Cheney joked about his outsize reputation as a stealthy manipulator. —Calvin Woodward, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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"

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing smile

• archaic smile
• a smile on one's lips
• bring a smile to one's lips
• crack a smile
• had a smile on her lips
• smile from ear to ear
• smile on/upon
• smile to oneself
• thin smile
• wear a silly grin/smile on one's face
• wipe that smile off your face
• wipe the smile off one's face

Rhymes for smile

• aisle
• bile
• chyle
• file
• guile
• heil
• isle
• kyle
• mile
• pile
• rile
• stile

Kids Definition

smile

1 of 2 verb

ˈsmī(ə)l 

smiled; smiling

1

: to have, produce, or exhibit a smile

2

a

: to look with amusement or ridicule

b

: to be fortunate or agreeable

the weather smiled on our plans

3

: to express by a smile

both parents smiled their approval

smiler noun

smilingly

ˈsmī-liŋ-lē 

adverb

smile

2 of 2 noun

: a change of facial expression in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward especially in expression of amusement, pleasure, approval, or sometimes scorn