grin

grin — noun

1. a broad smile that shows the teeth, usually because a person is very happy, amus

1.nounB1
Definition

a broad smile that shows the teeth, usually because a person is very happy, amused, or pleased about something

Example

Reuben walked out of the exam room with a huge grin on his face.

collocation: a huge grin on someone's face

A wide grin spread across Élise's face when she spotted her best friend.

Common collocations
  • big grin
  • wide grin
  • huge grin
  • silly grin
  • goofy grin
  • cheeky grin
  • knowing grin
  • grin on someone's face
  • hide a grin
  • wipe the grin off someone's face
  • flash a grin
Synonyms
  • smile

    the general term; a grin is wider and usually shows more teeth than a regular smile

  • beam

    a very bright, radiant smile that expresses great joy; warmer and less toothy than a grin

  • smirk

    a smug, self-satisfied smile with negative connotation; a grin is neutral or positive

Antonyms
  • frown

    an expression of displeasure with the eyebrows drawn together and the corners of the mouth turned down

  • scowl

    an angry or sullen facial expression, opposite in emotion to a grin

Grammar Patterns

a [adjective] grin on someone's face

Usage Note

Often used with verbs like 'have', 'wear', 'give', or 'flash': 'He wore a wide grin after the victory.' 'She flashed him a grin.' The phrase 'wipe that grin off your face' is used as a disapproving command when someone is smiling at an inappropriate moment.

Common Mistakes

I saw a grin on his face when he was angry.
I saw a scowl on his face when he was angry.
'grin' describes a happy or amused expression, not an angry one.
She gave me a grin smile.
She gave me a grin.
'grin' already means a type of smile; adding 'smile' is redundant.

grin — verb

Word family

  • grinned
    verbB1
  • grinning
    adjectiveB1
  • grins
    verbB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe a facial expression of pleasure, but they differ in intensity and connotation. 'Smile' is the neutral, everyday term — a slight turning up of the mouth corners without showing teeth. 'Grin' is a wider, more noticeable smile that usually reveals the teeth; it suggests strong amusement or delight. 'Beam' focuses on the inner feeling of joy radiating outward — a beaming person may or may not show teeth, but their eyes and face glow with happiness. 'Smirk' is the odd one out: it describes a smug, self-satisfied smile often aimed at someone else's discomfort. For example: the photographer asked everyone to smile; the toddler grinned at the bubbles; the bride beamed at her guests; the villain smirked after outsmarting the hero.

smile ↗beam ↗smirkgrin ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'grin' comes from Old English 'grennian', which meant 'to show the teeth' — originally in pain or anger rather than happiness. It is related to the Old Norse 'grenja' (to howl) and the German 'grinsen' (to grin). By the Middle English period, the meaning had shifted to expressing amusement or pleasure, though the older sense of a forced or pained grin survives in the modern idiom 'grin and bear it'.