smirk

smirk

English

Alternative forms

• smerk (dated)

Etymology

A smirk.

From Middle English smirken, from Old English smearcian (“to smile”), corresponding to smerian + -cian (English -k), 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).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /smɜːk/

  • Audio (UK)

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /smɝk/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k

Noun

smirk (plural smirks)

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

   Synonyms: simper, (vulgar) shit-eating grin

   • 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; […], 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 270129598:

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

   • 2003, Herbert, Brian, “Xanadu”, in Dreamer of Dune‎, New York: Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN, LCCN 2002042951, OCLC 51040937, page 259:

     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.

Derived terms

• smirker
• smirkily
• smirkingly
• smirky

 

Translations

smile that is insolent, offensively self-satisfied or scornful

Bulgarian: престорена усмивка (prestorena usmivka) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Czech: úšklebek m Dutch: grijnslach (nl) Finnish: virne (fi), virnistys (fi), omahyväinen hymy French: sourire en coin m, ricanerie (fr) f German: Geschmunzel n Irish: leamh-mheangadh m, straois f, streill f, siotgháire m Italian: smorfia (it) f, sorrisetto m Russian: ухмы́лка (ru) (uxmýlka) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: кес m Roman: kes (sh) m Spanish: sonrisita f, mueca (es) f, sonrisa de suficiencia f, sonrisa complacida f, sonrisa de satisfacción f, sonrisa de complicidad f, sonrisa satisfecha, sonrisa de superioridad Welsh: cilwen (cy) f

Verb

smirk (third-person singular simple present smirks, present participle smirking, simple past and past participle smirked)

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

Synonyms

• simper

Translations

to smile in a way that is affected, smug, insolent or contemptuous

Bulgarian: подсмихвам се (podsmihvam se) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Czech: ušklíbnout se Dutch: grijnzen (nl), meesmuilen (nl) Finnish: virnistää (fi), hymyillä omahyväisesti French: ricaner (fr) German: grinsen (de), feixen (de) (colloquial) Ido: ridetar (io) Italian: sogghignare (it) Navajo: biniiʼ yiyoołdloh Russian: ухмыля́ться (ru) impf (uxmyljátʹsja), ухмыльну́ться (ru) pf (uxmylʹnútʹsja) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: ке́сити се Roman: kesiti se (sh) Spanish: sonreír con suficiencia

Adjective

smirk (comparative more smirk, superlative most smirk)

1. (obsolete) smart; spruce; affected; simpering
   • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Februarie. Aegloga Se[c]unda.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], OCLC 606515406; republished as The Shepheardes Calender […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], 1586, OCLC 837880809:

     So smirk, so smooth, his pricked Ears.

Anagrams

• mirks, skrim