/ English Dictionary |
SMIRK
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("smirk" is a kind of...):
grin; grinning; smile; smiling (a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement)
Derivation:
smirk (smile affectedly or derisively)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Smile affectedly or derisively
Synonyms:
simper; smirk
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Hypernyms (to "smirk" is one way to...):
smile (change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "smirk"):
fleer (to smirk contemptuously)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Derivation:
smirk (a smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure)
smirker (a smiler whose smile is offensively self-satisfied)
Context examples:
I waited, and sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.
(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)