Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To smile in an annoying self-satisfied manner.
- noun An annoying self-satisfied smile.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To smile affectedly or wantonly; look affectedly soft or kind.
- Synonyms Simper, Smirk. See
simper . - noun An affected smile; a soft look.
- Smart; spruce.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To smile in an affected or conceited manner; to smile with affected complaisance; to simper.
- adjective Nice,; smart; spruce; affected; simpering.
- noun A forced or affected smile; a simper.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An uneven, often crooked
smile that isinsolent , offensively self-satisfied or scornful. - verb To
smile in a way that is affected,smug ,insolent orcontemptuous . - adjective obsolete
smart ;spruce ;affected ;simpering
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb smile affectedly or derisively
- noun a smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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BTW Sam ... a 'smirk' is certainly in the eye of the beholder ... you obviously have a jaundiced eye!
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I just can never, ever take this Dreamworks stuff seriously as long as that smirk is front and center, in my face.
How to Train Your Dragon: “Dragon Training” Featurettes | /Film 2010
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A smirk is exactly what Bolloks has on his face during his heckle.
Ed Balls-up: crisis, what crisis? Stephen Tall 2008
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His congenital smirk is best described as the sort of grin that, if named, would guarantee this comment a term in Moderator Purgatory.
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How he held back that tell of tells, the smirk, is beyond me.
Think Progress » More McCain Attacks: Murtha ‘Sentimental,’ ‘Never Been a Big Thinker’ 2005
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A smirk is really a terrible habit for any politician.
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In Art History, our teacher superimposed as self-portrait of DaVinci over an image of the Mona Lisa, saying that one theory claims that the mysterious Mona Lisa smirk is simply DaVinci’s secret that he painted himself as a woman.
Think Progress » Murtha on Iraq: ‘There’s Not Only No Progress, It’s Worse Than It Was Prewar’ 2006
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I believe what you are calling a smirk is where his teleprompter is telling him to "SMILE" -- that's so we, and he, know that he told us a joke, and also to dispel that nasty rumor going around about his bad temper.
McCain Jokes About Obama's Overseas Trip And Press Coverage 2009
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He recalled her smirk when she came back with some trousers and dropped them on the ground.
Disordered Minds Walters, Minette 2003
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Andrew was led to his place in front of Mr. Davies by Uncle Thomas (who was wearing what could only be described as a smirk) when suddenly, Marina lost her smile, and stared -
The Gates Of Sleep Lackey, Mercedes 2002
yarb commented on the word smirk
An exponent of the compliant smirk
welcomed me, carried my case for pence.
- Peter Reading, Placed by the Gideons, from Nothing for Anyone, 1977
June 26, 2008