smiling 1 of 3

adjective

as in laughing

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smiling

2 of 3

noun

as in cheering

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smiling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of smile
1
as in grinning
to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward the soldier smiled in pleasure when he saw the giant sign welcoming him home

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneering
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of smiling
Adjective
Women in black hijabs and abayas, many wearing badges depicting Zahra’s smiling face, lined the streets as men prayed over her casket, placed outside the Husseiniya, a Shiite hall. — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026 As Thomas’ parents, Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas, unveiled their son’s smiling statue in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame Plaza last Sunday, as scores of his former teammates looked on in sadness and joy, Miller was 800 miles away in Dallas, gearing up for a game against the Cowboys. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
In the post, De Laurentiis shared an image of Jade, 18, sitting on her dorm bed holding Radiohead’s In Rainbows record and smiling. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 The boos were more scattered and barely audible amidst the applause and cheers, which grew louder when the ballpark’s video boards showed the 2018 champ smiling, clapping, and waving from the visitors’ dugout. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Karen Jesch, a PhD student at Boston College’s Canine Cognition Center, points out that human smiling is a strange behavior to begin with, and not always a happy one. — Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 14 May 2026 There was a lot of nervous smiling. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025 Umanmielen responded with a GIF of a smiling, but famously blind, Stevie Wonder. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
In the videos and photos little Noel could be seen dancing, smiling, jumping on a trampoline and goofing around inside a laundry hamper. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026 In April, Jen danced toward the chemotherapy ward bell, smiling broadly, fists raised in triumph. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 Last year, retailer Target was ridiculed across social media for instituting a smiling policy. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Cooley, meanwhile, hinted that even smiling or chatting with teammates can take him out of that preferred mindset. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026 But Thomas and Erika are no fools, coolly telling off smiling Hitler sympathizers during a tony reception. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 On the columns of train stations, stickers bore the smiling faces of soldiers in their twenties alongside motivational quotes and the dates of their births and deaths. — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 The episode ends with Lee smiling a bloody smile, the tooth Lonnie just broke on full display for the dentist who lives with his family. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026 In the second picture, Joseph is seen smiling and posing in front of the White House—and his appearance has reminded many of Barron. — Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiling
  1. amused
  2. laughing
  3. grinning
  4. jovial
  5. merry
  6. gleeful
  7. jolly
  8. cheerful
Adjective
  • This is the sort of attitude that our bikers are going to pick up on, and not in an amused way.
    — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Still, everyone onstage seemed amused and accustomed to Lange’s bluntness.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of amused
Noun
  • The thought of coworkers open-mouthed laughing is enough to jar anyone awake.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 24 July 2026
  • A lot of shouting, a lot of laughing, a lot of talk.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of laughing
Verb
  • And why is Owen Wilson grinning like an awkward schoolboy at Zeus’s naked daughters?
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Both Ruto, behind the wheel, and Chivayo are seen laughing, with Chivayo's wife grinning from the back seat.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of grinning
Adjective
  • Bell replied in his usual jovial manner, agreeing to the reproduction of his photo in the forthcoming article.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Tyler Kelly, one of the jovial valets, will happily answer any questions or assist with luggage to the car.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of jovial
Adjective
  • Rather than getting stuck or trying to figure out a way to navigate around an obstacle, the robot can simply leap over it and continue on its merry way.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
  • After tuning up, Batiste led his merry band of musicians to their stage.
    — Marc Lieberman, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of merry
Adjective
  • Feeling gleeful at the first excuse to pull on a sweater or light an autumn candle?
    — Danielle Bouchard, Martha Stewart, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play isn’t a musical, but about two-thirds of the way through, there’s a sing-off that’s both a gleeful showstopper and a wry metatheatrical treat.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of gleeful
Adjective
  • The track opens with a sprinkle of piano before morphing into a jolly celebration that’s really going to hit this holiday season.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Both his suggestion and the jolly appreciation seem out of tune with the situation ‘far from home’, which may be a military manoeuvre involving mock battles and bayonet practice, or a preparation for actual combat.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of jolly
Adjective
  • The vibe is of a cheerful — very upscale — Parisian market that’s centered around a section of fruits and vegetables displayed like in a museum.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Jeon is marvelous in the role, allowing flashes of envy, resentment, and longing to surface beneath Mi-ok’s cheerful, accommodating manner without diminishing her warmth or loyalty.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheerful

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smiles
smiling
smilingly
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Cite this Entry

“Smiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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