Library / English Dictionary

SMILING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

grin; grinning; smile; smiling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("smiling" is a kind of...):

facial expression; facial gesture (a gesture executed with the facial muscles)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "smiling"):

simper (a silly self-conscious smile)

smirk (a smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure)

Derivation:

smile (change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure)

smiling (smiling with happiness or optimism)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Smiling with happiness or optimism

Example:

a round red twinkly Santa Claus

Synonyms:

beamish; smiling; twinkly

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

cheerful (being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits)

Derivation:

smiling (a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

-ing form of the verb smile

Credits

 Context examples: 

So much for the string, then, said Holmes, smiling, now for the box wrapper.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"None that I ever heard of," returned Mrs. Fairfax, smiling.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

In all of the experiments, the participants were shown the smiling faces of white or black people, and were asked to rate the level of happiness they perceived in the images.

(White people’s perceptions of the emotions on black people’s faces are less accurate than their perceptions among other white people, University of Granada)

"We can mean no other," cried Lucy, smiling.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

“That is better,” said she, smiling at our laughter.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Her father!” cried the lady, smiling.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

“I don’t know,” she answered, smiling at me.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“No, no, it is not so bad as that,” said Holmes, smiling.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She walked over to him, smiling pleasantly, and held out her hand.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)