Library / English Dictionary

SMIRK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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

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

Derivation:

smirk (smile affectedly or derisively)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Smile affectedly or derisively

Synonyms:

simper; smirk

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "smirk" is one way to...):

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "smirk"):

fleer (to smirk contemptuously)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

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

smirker (a smiler whose smile is offensively self-satisfied)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I waited, and sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)