smile

Meaning

Noun

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.
2. Favour; propitious regard.
3. (slang) A drink bought by one person for another.

Verb

1. To have (a smile) on one's face.
2. To express by smiling.
3. To express amusement, pleasure, or love and kindness.
4. To look cheerful and joyous; to have an appearance suited to excite joy.
5. To be propitious or favourable; to countenance.
6. Of ackee fruit: to open fully, indicating that it is no longer toxic, and ready to be picked.

Synonyms

laugh

😆

grin

😁

smiling

laughter

chuckle

laugh at

beam

giggle

smirk

😏

laughing

😆

be happy

chortle

be delighted

grinning

😀

smiling face

smile sweetly

express joy

gentle laugh

be smiling

laugh gently

smicker

benevolence

cheese

🧀

entice

goodwill

greed

laughs

rice

🍚

scream

😱

self-conscious

snicker

welcome

look pleasant

sneer at

suppressed laugh

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsmaɪl/

Etymology

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”).