Grin
What it means
To smile broadly, usually from pleasure, amusement, or pride.
Reach for it when describing a visibly wide smile when its emotional meaning is clear
The children began to grin when the magician found the coin.
Words to choose between 6
| playful |
|
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
flash a smile
Fits when a quick deliberate expression suits the moment
Careful A flashed smile can be polite rather than genuinely amused.
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everyday
Fits when a positive facial expression is enough
Careful Smile covers subtle warmth, while grin implies a broad visible shape.
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everyday
smirk
Fits when self-satisfaction or contempt is genuinely present
Careful Smirk is negative and should never replace an innocent grin.
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warm
Fits when open happiness seems to light the whole face
Careful Beaming is more radiant and less mischievous than grinning.
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formal
break into a smile
Fits when the change from restraint to pleasure matters
Careful The phrase emphasizes onset and may describe a smaller expression.
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literary
Fits when happiness or health radiates beyond the mouth
Careful Glow is figurative and can appear without any smile.
Opposites 3
- frown
- scowl
- grimace
Common phrases 3
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grin broadly
The goalkeeper began to grin broadly after the final save.
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grin with delight
Visitors grin with delight when the hidden panel opens.
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cannot help but grin
I cannot help but grin when the old recording begins.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
A grin can signal embarrassment, aggression, or smugness as well as joy. The surrounding action should establish the positive reading.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated