• IPA: /ˈsmaɪl/, /ˈsmaɪ.əl/

smile (plural smiles)

1. A facial expression comprised by flexing the muscles of both ends of one's mouth, often showing the front teeth, without vocalisation, and in humans is a common involuntary or voluntary expression of happiness, pleasure, amusement or anxiety.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:smile

   She's got a perfect smile.

   He has a sinister smile.

   She had a smile on her face.

   He always puts a smile on my face.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314 ↗, page 0105 ↗:

     Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.

2. (figurative) Favour; propitious regard.

   the smile of the gods

3. (slang, dated) A drink bought by one person for another.

   Synonyms: treat

• French: sourire
• German: Lächeln
• Italian: sorriso
• Portuguese: sorriso
• Russian: улы́бка
• Spanish: sonrisa

smile (smiles, present participle smiling; past and past participle smiled)

1. (ambitransitive) To have (a smile) on one's face.

   When you smile, the whole world smiles with you.

   I don't know what he's smiling about.

   She smiles a beautiful smile.

2. (transitive) To express by smiling.

   to smile consent, or a welcome

3. (intransitive) To express amusement, pleasure, or love and kindness.

   • When last I saw thy young blue eyes, they smiled.

4. (intransitive) To look cheerful and joyous; to have an appearance suited to excite joy.

   The sun smiled down from a clear summer sky.

   • 1717, Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard:

     The desert smil'd, / And paradise was open'd in the wild.

5. (intransitive) To be propitious or favourable; to countenance.

   The gods smiled on his labours.

• French: sourire
• German: lächeln
• Italian: sorridere
• Portuguese: sorrir
• Russian: улыба́ться
• Spanish: sonreír