smirk

CEFRB2

/smɜːk/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A small smile showing self-satisfaction or disrespect.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A forced or affected smile.

Examples

  • The boy had a mischievous smirk on his face.

  • Wipe that smirk off your face.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
3
Synonyms
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To smile in a way that is affected, smug, insolent or contemptuous.

  2. An uneven, often crooked smile that is insolent, self-satisfied, conceited or scornful.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. smart; spruce; affected; simpering

More examples

In context

  • The bride, all smirk and blush, had just entered.

  • So smirk, so smooth, his pricked Ears.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

After winning an argument, he could not stop a smug blank from appearing.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English smirken, from Old English smearcian (“to smile”), corresponding to smerian + -cian (English -k; compare talk and stalk from, respectively, tell and steal). The former element from Proto-Germanic *smarōną (“to mock, scoff at”), and the latter from Proto-Germanic *-kōną. Compare Middle High German smielen/smieren (“to smile”) ( > obsolete, rare German schmieren). Doublet of smile. The specific meaning of a mocking or unpleasant, malicious smile or grin develops in Early Modern English, but until the 18th century, it could still be used to describe a generic smile.