[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/smirk/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [S](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/s/) / smirk

# smirk

verb (smirk, smirks, smirked, smirking); noun (a smirk, smirks)

«smirk» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To smirk is to smile in a smug, silly or unkind way, often because you think you are cleverer than someone or are pleased about their bad luck. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#m1)
2. A smirk is a smile like that. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories a smirk tells the reader that a character is pleased with themselves, sneaky or mean, not truly friendly. In everyday life adults may say «Wipe that smirk off your face!» when a child is being cheeky. Phrases: a smug smirk, wipe the smirk off someone's face.

### Examples

- The bully smirked when I dropped my books. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x1)
- «I told you so,» she said with a smirk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x2)
- Wipe that smirk off your face and say sorry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x3)
- The villain smirked as he locked the door. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x4)
- He tried not to smirk when the teacher got the answer wrong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x5)
- There was a little smirk on the cat's face after it stole the fish. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x6)
- Her smirk showed she knew the secret. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x7)
- They smirked at each other and rubbed their hands. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/#x8)

### Note

A smirk is not the same as a smile or a grin: it is usually unkind or smug. Past form smirked. Countable noun: a smirk, two smirks.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «smirk» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/smirk/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«smirk» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/smirk.html) on Mova free.