smile

S1M3I1L1E1
/ˈsmaɪl//ˈsmaɪ.əl/

noun

A facial expression comprised by flexing the muscles of both ends of one's mouth, often showing the front teeth, without vocalisation, and in humans is a common involuntary or voluntary expression of happiness, pleasure, amusement, goodwill, or anxiety.

“the smile of the gods”

Similar
treatsmilinggringrinning
OriginMiddle English smilen ← Middle Low German *smîlen ← Middle High German smielen →
CommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

smile1

nounsmile (plural smiles)

plural smiles

  1. A facial expression comprised by flexing the muscles of both ends of one's mouth, often showing the front teeth, without vocalisation, and in humans is a common involuntary or voluntary expression of happiness, pleasure, amusement, goodwill, or anxiety.

    He has a sinister smile.

    5 more examples

    She's got a perfect smile.

    She had a smile on her face.

    He always puts a smile on my face.

    Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady.[…]She looked around expectantly, and recognizing Mrs. Cooke's maid[…]Miss Thorn greeted her with a smile which greatly prepossessed us in her favor.

    1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC

    Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.

    1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC
  2. figurativelyFavour; propitious regard.

    the smile of the gods

  3. datedslangA drink bought by one person for another.

    Synonyms: treat

verbsmile (third-person singular simple present smiles, present participle smiling, simple past and past participle smiled)

present singular third person smiles · participle present smiling · participle past smiled · past smiled

  1. ambitransitiveTo have (a smile) on one's face.

    She smiles a beautiful smile.

    5 more examples

    When you smile, the whole world smiles with you.

    I don't know what he's smiling about.

    “[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.

    1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

    Once I was a young man / And all I thought I had to do was smile

    1969, Mike d'Abo, “Handbags & Gladrags”, performed by Rod Stewart

    If a man smiles all the time he's probably selling something that doesn't work.

    1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 70
  2. transitiveTo express by smiling.

    to smile consent, or a welcome

    2 more examples

    Mr Carlyle smiled his indulgence privately. "My dear chap, you mustn't let your retentive memory of obscure happenings run away with you," he remarked wisely.

    1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

    I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.

    1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC
  3. intransitiveTo express amusement, pleasure, or love and kindness.

    When last I saw thy young blue eyes, they smiled.

    1816, Lord Byron, “Canto III”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Canto the Third, London: […] [F]or John Murray, […], →OCLC, stanza I
  4. intransitiveTo look cheerful and joyous; to have an appearance suited to excite joy.

    The sun smiled down from a clear summer sky.

  5. intransitiveTo be propitious or favourable; to countenance.

    The gods smiled on his labours.

  6. intransitiveOf ackee fruit: to open fully, indicating that it is no longer toxic, and ready to be picked.

    The fruit looks a bit like a large pink mango or guava, until it has ripened. Then it “smiles,” bursting open, exposing yellow meat with black seeds.

    2003, Jessica B. Harris, Beyond Gumbo: Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim, page 20

SMILE2

nounSMILE (uncountable)
  1. abbreviationuncountablemedicineAbbreviation of small incision lenticule extraction: corrective eye surgery in which a femtosecond laser photodisrupts ("carves") a lenticule of tissue within the corneal stroma that is then extracted through a small arc-shaped incision in the side of the cornea.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA drink bought by one person for another.

Similar
treat
Broader
facial expression
Narrower
beamcheesergrinshit-eating grinsimpersmirk

More synonyms by meaning

nouna facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

Similar
smilinggringrinning
Broader
facial expressionfacial gesture
Also see
fliggergringrinningsmiling

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*smey-“to laugh, be glad, wonder”
  2. Proto-Germanic*smīlāną“to smile”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*smīlēn
  4. Old High Germansmielēn
  5. Middle High Germansmielen
  6. Middle Low German*smîlen“to smile”
  7. Middle Englishsmilen“to smile”
  8. Englishsmile

From Middle English smilen (“to smile”), from Middle Low German *smîlen (“to smile”), from Middle High German smielen, from Old High German smielēn, from Proto-West Germanic *smīlēn, from Proto-Germanic *smīlāną (“to smile”), from Proto-Indo-European *smey- (“to laugh, be glad, wonder”). Cognate with Danish smile, Swedish smila, Faroese smíla (“to smile”); also Saterland Frisian smielje (“to smile”), Low German smielen (“to smile”), Dutch smuilen (“to smile”), Middle High German smielen (“to smile”). Related also to Old High German smierōn (“to smile”), Old English smerian (“to laugh at”), Old English smercian, smearcian ("to smile"; > English smirk), Latin mīror (“to wonder at”).

More words from Middle English, Middle Low German, Middle High German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans glimlag, glimlag
  • glimlaga happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • glimlagto have a smile on one's face
Ancient Greek μειδάω
  • μειδάω (meidáō)to have a smile on one's face
Arabic اِبْتِسَامَة, بَسْمَة
  • اِبْتِسَامَة (ibtisāma)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • بَسْمَة (basma)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • تَبَسُّم (tabassum)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • اِبْتَسَمَ (ibtasama)to have a smile on one's face
Basque irribarre, irri
  • irribarrea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • irria happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • irriñoa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
Bengali হাসি
  • হাসি (haśi)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
Bulgarian усми́вка, усми́хвам се
  • усми́вка (usmívka)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • усми́хвам се (usmíhvam se)to have a smile on one's face
  • усми́хна се (usmíhna se)to have a smile on one's face
Catalan somrís, somriure
  • somrísa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • somriurea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • somriureto have a smile on one's face
Chinese щё, щёляр
  • щё (xio)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • щёляр (xioliar)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑容 (chhiò-iông)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑神 (chhiò-sîn)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑市 (chhiò-chhī)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 微笑 (bî-chhiò)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑臉 /笑脸 (siàu-lián)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 麻微笑 (bâ-bui-chhiò)to have a smile on one's face
Chinese Cantonese 微笑, 笑臉 /笑脸
  • 微笑 (mei⁴ siu³)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑臉 /笑脸 (siu³ lim⁵ / siu³ lim⁶)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑 (siu³)to have a smile on one's face
  • 微笑 (mei⁴ siu³)to have a smile on one's face
Chinese Mandarin 微笑, 笑容
  • 微笑 (wēixiào)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑容 (xiàoróng)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑臉 /笑脸 (xiàoliǎn)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 微笑 (wēixiào)to have a smile on one's face
  • 笑 (xiào)to have a smile on one's face
Czech úsměv, usmívat se
  • úsměva happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • usmívat seto have a smile on one's face
  • usmát seto have a smile on one's face
Danish smil, smile
  • smila happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • smileto have a smile on one's face
Dari لَبْخَنْد, پوزْخَنْد
  • لَبْخَنْد (labxand)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • پوزْخَنْد (pōzxand)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • تَبَسُّم (tabassum)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
Dutch glimlach, lach
  • glimlacha happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • lacha happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • glimlachento have a smile on one's face
  • smuilento have a smile on one's face
Esperanto rideto, rideti
  • ridetoa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • ridetito have a smile on one's face
Estonian naeratus, naeratama
  • naeratusa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • naeratamato have a smile on one's face
Finnish hymy, hymyillä
  • hymya happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • hymyilläto have a smile on one's face
French sourire, sourire
  • sourirea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • sourireto have a smile on one's face
German Lächeln, Lachla
  • Lächelna happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • Lachlaa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • lächelnto have a smile on one's face
Greek χαμόγελο, χαμογέλιο
  • χαμόγελο (chamógelo)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • χαμογέλιο (chamogélio)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • χαμογέλασμα (chamogélasma)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • μειδίαμα (meidíama)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • χαμογελάω (chamogeláo)to have a smile on one's face
  • χαμογελώ (chamogeló)to have a smile on one's face
Hawaiian minoʻaka, minoʻaka
  • minoʻakaa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • minoʻakato have a smile on one's face
Hebrew חִיּוּךְ, חייך \ חִיֵּךְ
  • חִיּוּךְ (khiyúkh)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • חייך \ חִיֵּךְ (khiyékh)to have a smile on one's face
Hindi मुस्कान, मुसकुराहट
  • मुस्कान (muskān)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • मुसकुराहट (muskurāhaṭ)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • स्मित (smit)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • तबस्सुम (tabassum)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • मुस्काना (muskānā)to have a smile on one's face
  • मुस्कुराना (muskurānā)to have a smile on one's face
Hungarian mosoly, mosolyog
  • mosolya happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • mosolyogto have a smile on one's face
Icelandic bros, brosa
  • brosa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • brosato have a smile on one's face
Indonesian senyum, senyuman
  • senyuma happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • senyumana happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • tersenyumto have a smile on one's face
Iranian Persian لَبْخَنْد, پوزْخَنْد
  • لَبْخَنْد (labxand)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • پوزْخَنْد (puzxand)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • تَبَسُّم (tabassom)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
Irish meangadh, fáthadh an gháire
  • meangadha happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • fáthadh an gháirea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • miongháirea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • meangadh gáirea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • aoibha happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • déan miongháireto have a smile on one's face
Italian sorriso, sorridere
  • sorrisoa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • sorridereto have a smile on one's face
Japanese 微笑み, 笑み
  • 微笑み (hohoemi)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑み (emi)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 笑顔 (egao)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 微笑 (bishō)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • スマイル (sumairu)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 微笑む (hohoemu)to have a smile on one's face
  • 笑う (warau)to have a smile on one's face
Korean 미소, 스마일
  • 미소 (miso)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 스마일 (seumail)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 소안 (soan)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • 미소를 짓다 (miso-reul jitda)to have a smile on one's face
  • 미소짓다 (misojitda)to have a smile on one's face
  • 웃다 (utda)to have a smile on one's face
  • 미소하다 (misohada)to have a smile on one's face
Latin subrīsus, surrīsus
  • subrīsusa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • surrīsusa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • rīsusa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • subrīdeōto have a smile on one's face
  • surrīdeōto have a smile on one's face
Latvian smaids, smaidīt
  • smaidsa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • smaidītto have a smile on one's face
Lithuanian šypsena, šypsotis
  • šypsenaa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • šypsotisto have a smile on one's face
Malay senyum, tersenyum
  • senyuma happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • tersenyumto have a smile on one's face
Māori memene
  • memenea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
Norwegian Bokmål smil, smile
  • smila happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • smileto have a smile on one's face
Persian لبخند زدن, تبسم کردن
  • لبخند زدن (labxand zadan)to have a smile on one's face
  • تبسم کردن (tabassom kardan)to have a smile on one's face
Polish uśmiech, uśmiechać się
  • uśmiecha happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • uśmiechać sięto have a smile on one's face
  • uśmiechnąć sięto have a smile on one's face
Portuguese sorriso, sorrir
  • sorrisoa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • sorrirto have a smile on one's face
Punjabi ਮੁਸਕਾਨ, مُسْکاݨ
  • ਮੁਸਕਾਨ (muskān)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • مُسْکاݨ (muskāṇ)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
Romanian zâmbet, surâs
  • zâmbeta happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • surâsa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • zâmbito have a smile on one's face
  • surâdeto have a smile on one's face
Russian улы́бка, усме́шка
  • улы́бка (ulýbka)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • усме́шка (usméška)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • улыба́ться (ulybátʹsja)to have a smile on one's face
  • улыбну́ться (ulybnútʹsja)to have a smile on one's face
  • усмеха́ться (usmexátʹsja)to have a smile on one's face
  • усмехну́ться (usmexnútʹsja)to have a smile on one's face
Scottish Gaelic fàite-gàire, fiamh-ghàire
  • fàite-gàirea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • fiamh-ghàirea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • snodha-gàirea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • dèan gàireto have a smile on one's face
  • dèan snodha-gàireto have a smile on one's face
  • dèan fàite-gàireto have a smile on one's face
Slovak úsmev, usmievať sa
  • úsmeva happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • usmievať sato have a smile on one's face
  • usmiať sato have a smile on one's face
Spanish sonrisa, sonreír
  • sonrisaa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • sonreírto have a smile on one's face
Swahili kicheko, tabasamu
  • kichekoa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • tabasamuto have a smile on one's face
Swedish leende, smil
  • leendea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • smila happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • leto have a smile on one's face
Tagalog ngiti, ngumiti
  • ngitia happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • ngumitito have a smile on one's face
Tamil புன்னகை
  • புன்னகை (puṉṉakai)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
Thai รอยยิ้ม, ยิ้ม
  • รอยยิ้ม (rɔɔi-yím)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • ยิ้ม (yím)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • ยิ้ม (yím)to have a smile on one's face
Turkish gülüş, gülümseme
  • gülüşa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • gülümsemea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • gülmea happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • tebessüma happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • gülümsemekto have a smile on one's face
  • tebessüm etmekto have a smile on one's face
Ukrainian у́смішка, посмі́шка
  • у́смішка (úsmiška)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • посмі́шка (posmíška)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • усміха́тися (usmixátysja)to have a smile on one's face
  • усміхну́тися (usmixnútysja)to have a smile on one's face
  • посміха́тися (posmixátysja)to have a smile on one's face
  • посміхну́тися (posmixnútysja)to have a smile on one's face
Urdu مُسْکُرَاہَٹ, تَبَسُّم
  • مُسْکُرَاہَٹ (muskurāhaṭ)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • تَبَسُّم (tabassum)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • مُسْکان (muskān)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • مُسْکُرَانا (muskurānā)to have a smile on one's face
  • مُسْکانا (muskānā)to have a smile on one's face
Vietnamese cười, cười
  • cườia happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • cườito have a smile on one's face
  • cười mỉmto have a smile on one's face
Welsh gwên, gwenu
  • gwêna happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • gwenuto have a smile on one's face
Yiddish שמייכל, שמאָך
  • שמייכל (shmeykhl)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • שמאָך (shmokh)a happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice
  • שמייכלען (shmeykhlen)to have a smile on one's face
  • צעשמייכלען (tseshmeykhlen)to have a smile on one's face
Zulu ukumamatheka
  • ukumamathekaa happy face expression using mouth, but without producing voice

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with smile

filewhilestylemilechileisletilecompilekylepileNilevolatileCarlisleworthwhileawhileaisleLylereptilebileargyllguileCarlyleargylevile
All rhymes →

Anagrams

milesslimelimesSelimmislemilse
Cite this entry
APA

smile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smile

MLA

“smile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smile. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “smile,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/smile.

Source: smile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.