How do you use the word "smirk" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "smirk": The boy had a mischievous smirk on his face. Wipe that smirk off your face.

Smirk Meaning

/smɜːk/

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

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

nounA forced or affected smile.

Sentence Examples

The boy had a mischievous smirk on his face.

Wipe that smirk off your face.

CEFR Practice Quiz

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

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The mischievous boy had a slight ____ on his face as he hid behind the large curtain.

Word Origin & History

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.

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"The bride, all smirk and blush, had just entered." — 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:

"We sat at a long table with a huge salmon on a platter in the center, prepared Szechuan style. Dad sat at one end of the table, and regaled all present with his stories. In the middle of one convoluted yarn, he rose and went around to the salmon in the center of the table. Using his fingers, he dug an eyeball out of the fish, popped it in his mouth and swallowed it whole as we looked on, aghast. “A real delicacy,” he said, with a boyish smirk." — 2003, Brian Herbert, “Xanadu”, in Dreamer of Dune, New York: Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 259:

"So smirk, so smooth, his pricked Ears." — 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Februarie. Aegloga Se[c]unda.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:

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