grin
1to smile broadly, especially as an indication of pleasure, amusement, or the like.
to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth, as a snarling dog or a person in pain.
to show or be exposed through an opening, crevice, etc.
to express or produce by grinning: The little boy grinned his approval of the gift.
a broad smile.
the act of producing a broad smile.
the act of withdrawing the lips and showing the teeth, as in anger or pain.
Origin of grin
1synonym study For grin
Other words for grin
Opposites for grin
Other words from grin
- grinner, noun
- grin·ning·ly, adverb
Words Nearby grin
Other definitions for grin (2 of 2)
Chiefly Scot. a snare like a running noose.
Archaic. to catch in a nooselike snare.
Origin of grin
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use grin in a sentence
Out of disguise, the masked outlaw who duels with a grin and woos with ardor, morphs into blasé upper-cruster Don Diego Vega, who suffers from overrefinement and chronic fatigue.
Zorro at 100: Why the original swashbuckler is still the quintessential American action hero | Michael Sragow | January 1, 2021 | Washington PostOtherwise, I could watch the bonhomie—lots of backslapping and broad grins, like the first day of summer camp—from a distance.
When they close their mouths, they still have a toothy grin — their bottom teeth stick out and up.
Let’s learn about alligators and crocodiles | Bethany Brookshire | September 29, 2020 | Science News For StudentsAll modern crocodilians are long, scaly animals with stumpy legs and toothy grins.
Let’s learn about alligators and crocodiles | Bethany Brookshire | September 29, 2020 | Science News For StudentsO’Neal participates, sideways grin glued to his face, knowing he can’t possibly win.
Kobe Bryant Punched A Teammate Over $100, And It Wasn’t Shaq | Jeff Pearlman | September 25, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
Then, with a grin, “And we all know how degenerate those people are.”
‘Mozart in the Jungle’: Inside Amazon’s Brave New World of Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music | Kevin Fallon | December 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThrough it all, Chris Hughes nodded approvingly, an unnerving grin on his face.
Facebook Prince Purges The New Republic: Inside the Destruction of a 100-Year-Old Magazine | Lloyd Grove | December 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAs the driver bios appeared on the jumbo screen, I flashed a toothy grin after noticing that two of them were women.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture | Eliza Krigman | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWith a puckish grin, he ordered his entourage, including several generals, to line up and join him in—how shall one put it?
As Hunter waved it in the air, light flashed off his Colgate-commercial-ready grin.
This gave the house a very cheerful appearance, as if it were constantly on a broad grin.
Davy and The Goblin | Charles E. CarrylThat embrace, that grin and that heart-born exclamation marked the entrance of the Pulsifer family into my life.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydBut he watched Grandfather Mole narrowly, with a grin on his face, to see what the old chap would do.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyWhen Tom Brown awoke, late in the day, he found Mafuta sitting at his feet with a broad grin on his dusky countenance.
Hunting the Lions | R.M. BallantyneI should say, replied Master Bates, with a grin, that he was uncommon sweet upon Betsy.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles Dickens
British Dictionary definitions for grin
/ (ɡrɪn) /
to smile with the lips drawn back revealing the teeth or express (something) by such a smile: to grin a welcome
(intr) to draw back the lips revealing the teeth, as in a snarl or grimace
grin and bear it informal to suffer trouble or hardship without complaint
a broad smile
a snarl or grimace
Origin of grin
1Derived forms of grin
- grinner, noun
- grinning, adjective, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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