as in laughing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiling
Verb
-
In a somewhat dystopian but highly sentimental video shown at the presentation, a woman drives along a desolate road in search of a sunrise, describing her favorite colors and laughing along with the Saloon concept.—
Abigail Bassett,
Ars Technica,
8 Jan. 2025 -
There was no shouting or laughing.—
David Wolman,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The amused barista eventually tires of our back-and-forth and comps the drinks.—
Jae-Ha Kim,
Rolling Stone,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Arena, using the amused, self-teasing tone of someone looking down an itemized bill for maybe three billion dollars—JPMorgan declined to confirm that reported price—reflected on the travertine that surrounds the elevator banks.—
Ian Parker,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The education secretary – who oversaw a historic period for American learners that started with a pandemic and ended with a financial aid crisis – had a jovial, determined air about him.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA TODAY,
18 Jan. 2025
-
No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Our gift to you: have yourself a merry little moment with giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
24 Jan. 2025
-
The American musical before 1927 had been light stuff—part operetta, part revue—a merry playground for sparklers like George M. Cohan and Cole Porter.—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The tone between the two sites was different, with Bluesky users outraged, and X users seeming rather gleeful about the omission.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Seeing the sausage get made carries its own gleeful fascination, but Episode 2 (directed by Marshall Curry) is at its best when looking back.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The same jolly collection also returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart for another year.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Winter break is a jolly time of the year for many children.—
Holly Garcia,
Parents,
31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But Lynch, who died last week, at seventy-eight, made films in which every cheerful surface seemed to obscure an eerie reality.—
Joshua Rothman,
The New Yorker,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Videos of their vigorous, cheerful efforts soon went viral, drew international coverage and were a forceful counterpoint to Trump’s xenophobic insults.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
And those pink and gold slices give its face a cheery expression too.—
Karen Yuan,
Bon Appétit,
1 Feb. 2025
-
Corey Lay What to know: Beloved in the game for her cheery demeanor and never-quit attitude, Big T Fazakerley is a solid competitor who may not have the killer instinct required for a win.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
31 Jan. 2025
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.
Thesaurus Entries Near smiling
Cite this Entry
“Smiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiling. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share