grin

1 of 2

verb

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 adverb

grin

2 of 2

noun

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 grinLouise Erdrich
I wanted to wipe the grin off his face [=make him stop smiling.]

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
To the right of the stage, a fabric backdrop stamped with the candidate’s campaign logo stretched across a metal frame — a makeshift photo booth where supporters posed and grinned. Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2025 The woman, Sati, grinned as a once-still image of her husband, Jose, moved about, smiling back at her. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 19 July 2025
Noun
Entering into Cohen's Clubhouse after a game of 'Mystery Housewife Caller,' Radziwill greeted her former boss with a big grin and an enthusiastic hug. Dave Quinn, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025 Every social feed served unboxing after unboxing of pastel creatures with wide grins and rabbit-like ears. Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grin

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English grennen, from Old English grennian; akin to Old High German grennen to snarl

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grin was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grin. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

grin

verb
grinned; grinning
: to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth especially in laughter
grin noun

More from Merriam-Webster on grin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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