A better word for smile

If we asked you to come up with some great synonyms for the word “smile,” you’d probably have a few great ones ready to go. What happens when we only want to refer to a small smile, though? This article will explore all the best options.

The preferred versions are “grin,” “smirk,” and “simper.” They’re good one-word choices that represent someone smiling in a way that might not even be noticeable unless you’re paying close attention. All three smiles occur for slightly different reasons as well.

Grin

Technically, “grin” doesn’t refer to a small smile. It refers to a beaming smile. However, it’s come to mean small smile in recent years, especially when we use it with words like “subtle” or “cheeky.” The idea is that people will grin in a sly way to hide their amusement.

Even the official dictionary definition regards “grin” as a wide smile.

The definition of “grin,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a wide smile.”

However, if used in the following ways, we can also represent it as a much smaller smile.

• He let out the smallest grin, which made it clear to me that he was enjoying what was transpiring at that moment.
• You’ve got the dirtiest grin on your face. I wish you would get rid of it before anybody else notices it’s there.
• Stop with the subtle grinning. I know you’re up to no good, and I’ll be sure to find out what I need to do to stop you!

Smirk

A “smirk” is a small smile. It works really well in most cases, but a lot of people use it as a disapproving word. Usually, a smirk relates to somebody being smug or showing satisfaction because someone else has done something wrong.

Smirking only works in negative situations. It’s not the best word if you want to remain positive about someone’s small smile (which is why we provided “grin” as an option).

The definition of “smirk,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a smile that expresses satisfaction or pleasure about having done something or knowing something that is not known by someone else.”

• She smirks a lot when she knows she’s winning. I can’t stand it, and it only leads to me getting even angrier than before.
• I hate it when you smirk! Would you please stop doing that! I feel like you’re mocking me when you make that face.
• I don’t think he meant to let out that smirk. His true character has come through now, and I’m sure we’ll be able to catch him out.

Simper

“Simper” can go both ways. It can be both good (like “grin”) or bad (like “smirk”). A good simpler is usually a small smile that you do to show innocence or silliness. A bad simper is done to be smug or annoying in some way that aggravates the person that sees you.

The definition of “simper,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to smile in a silly or annoying way.”

• Get that simpering smile off your face right now. I know it was you that did it; I just need to find a way to prove it.
• I’m not simpering! You must have me mistaken for somebody else. I would never smile at something as awful as that.
• I didn’t mean to simper! Now they think that I was the one that did it. I don’t even know how to get out of this!

Sly Smile

“Sly smile” is good because “sly” relates to keeping secrets. In this case, someone is trying to keep their smile a secret because they don’t want anybody to see it.

They might do this because they are trying to hide their true emotions from someone. It might also be effective to smile slyly when you want to show that you know something that someone else might not.

The definition of “sly,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “seeming to know secrets.”

• Your sly smile tells me everything I need to know. I knew I shouldn’t be trusting you with any of these secrets.
• She’s got a sly smile on her face looking at the two of us. Do you think she knows more about it than she’s letting on?
• I’m not sure I appreciate that sly smile of yours! You’ll need to behave yourself if you’re going to get through the rest of this event.

Cautious Smile

A “cautious smile” is what happens when someone is unsure whether they should be smiling. If they think the timing is inappropriate, they might remain “cautious” with their smile so they don’t get in trouble.

The definition of “cautious,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “very careful about what you do or say and unwilling to take risks because you want to avoid possible problems.”

• I appreciate that cautious smile. You know you shouldn’t be laughing or finding this funny, but you just can’t help showing it.
• I don’t have a cautious smile. I’m very straight-faced right now, and I’d appreciate it if you’d stop looking into it too much.
• I’m not going to call him out for a cautious smile like that. It happens to the best of us, and I don’t think it taught us anything.

Stifled Grin

“Stifled grin” is another good way we can describe someone’s grin. We use “stifled” to show that someone is trying to prevent their grin or smile from taking place.

Since they’re fighting to stop the grin from appearing, it materializes as a small smile on their face. It’s barely noticeable if you’re not paying attention.

The definition of “stifled,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to prevent something from happening, being expressed, or continuing.”

• That’s a stifled grin on his face if I ever saw one! I knew he was up to no good, and now I have a way to prove it!
• I’m not sure I like the stifled grin forming on her face. I wish there was something I could say or do that would stop her.
• Is that a stifled grin I spot on your face? I knew you were in on this too! I wish you had told me sooner!

Weak Smile

“Weak smile” works when you want to show that someone doubts themselves. “Weak” refers to their character, and they are usually too unsure of themselves to feel like they can smile widely, even when they’re having a lot of fun.

The definition of “weak,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “below standard; not good enough.”

• That’s a weak smile you’ve got there. Do you just not believe in yourself or something?
• I think she has a very weak smile. I think it shows you all you need to know about her character, and it’s nothing good.
• He managed to let out the weakest smile I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know if I’m allowed to call it a smile, to be honest.

Momentary Smile

“Momentary smile” means that a smile will come and go before most people notice it. These types of smiles are so small that most people miss them.

If you manage to catch someone in a momentary smile, it could tell you that they’re in on some kind of joke. It might also show you that they’re respectful enough to try to hide a smile when they know it’s an inappropriate time.

The definition of “momentary,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “lasting for a very short time.”

• Okay, what was up with that momentary smile on your lips? Do you know something about this that I’m missing?
• I’m not sure I let out a momentary smile. Like, I would have felt it if my lips had moved in any direction.
• That momentary smile on her face told me that she was in on this secret. I’ll have to confront her about it later.

Barely Noticeable Smile

“Barely noticeable smile” means that we didn’t have much time to notice the smile on someone’s face.

This implies that it was so small that you would have missed it on most occasions. It takes a special set of focused eyes to spot someone pulling one of these off.

• It was a barely noticeable smile, but I saw it. I knew there was some kind of conspiracy going on right under my nose.
• I had a barely noticeable smile, but my teacher had eyes like a hawk. Now I’m in detention for no good reason.
• His barely noticeable smile gave the game away quite quickly. If only the people around him hadn’t listened.

Moment Of Weakness

“Moment of weakness” doesn’t mention “smile” at all. Instead, we use it to show that someone let their guard down for a brief second, which could result in them revealing true emotions of joy or happiness (which results in a small smile).

• In my moment of weakness, I was caught off-guard. I couldn’t believe how many people thought I was in on the joke.
• I noticed a moment of weakness across her face. It was all I needed to see.
• She revealed her true nature in that moment of weakness. I knew she had the capacity for fun!

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