Grin definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

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Definitions (16)

American Heritage Dictionary (4)

intransitive verb To smile broadly, often baring the teeth, as in amusement, glee, embarrassment, or other strong emotion.
transitive verb To express with a grin: I grinned my approval.
noun The act of grinning.

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Century Dictionary (6)

To draw back the lips so as to show the teeth set nearly or quite together, as a snarling dog, or a person in pain or anger. The muscles specially concerned in the act are the levator labii superioris and levator anguli oris. He looked as it were a wilde boor, He grynte with his teeth, so was he wroth. Chaucer, Summoner's Tale, l. 461. The catte sterte vpon the hynder-feet, and grenned with his teth, and coveited the throte of the kynge. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 667. And many ther were slayn that lay grennynge on the grounde. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 209. Which when as Radigund their comming heard, Her heart for rage did grate and teeth did grin. Spenser, F. Q., V. iv. 37. Look how he grins! I've anger'd him to the kidneys. Fletcher (and another?), Nice Valour, iv. 1. Here grins the wolf as when he died. Scott, L. of the L., i. 27.
Hence To smile with a similar distortion of the features; exhibit derision, stupid admiration, embarrassment, or the like, by drawing back the lips from the teeth with a smiling expression. The slavering cudden, propp'd upon his staff, Stood ready gaping with a grinning laugh. Dryden, Cym. and Iph., l. 180. Guido's self, Whose mean soul grins through this transparent trick— Be balked so far, defrauded of his aim! Browning, Ring and Book, I. 281. The poor artist began to perceive that he was an object of derision rather than of respect to the rude grinning mob. Thackeray, Pendennis, II. 35. I know it is a sin For me to sit and grin At him here. O. W. Holmes, The Last Leaf. Grinning-match, an old game performed by two or more persons endeavoring to exceed each other in the distortion of their features, each of them having his head thrust through a horse's collar. Strutt, Sports and Pastimes, p. 476.
To snarl with, as the teeth in grinning. [Rare.] They neither could defend, nor can pursue; But grinn'd their teeth, and cast a helpless view. Dryden, Æneid.

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Examples (20)

Quinlan certainly noticed, if his grin was a true indicator. — Garwood, Julie - The Wedding
Camille flashed me a snarky look, but beneath her grin was a subdued look I seldom saw from her. — Yasmine Galenorn - [Sisters of the Moon 2] - Changeling
He had wanted to smash the leering grin from the Persian's face Leucion sat now before the fire, his anger burning brighter than the flames. — David Gemmell - (Lion of Macedon 01) Lion Of Macedon v1.0 (1990).htm
Ethan's cheeky grin put a smile on my face too! yargggh … looks like I won't make it before Christmas, but I can do this tag after, yea? since it's not totally seasonal … * grin* — Giddy Tigers
If you'd like to see these cards in person, you can enroll for my next class on Friday March 13th. * grin* Registration is just $12 and I only have a few spots left!

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Used in the Same Context

smile · laugh · grimace · gesture · gleam · nod · glance · sneer · whisper · humor · countenance · smirk

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (4)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Middle English grennen, to grimace, from Old English grennian.

Century Dictionary (3)

North. English and Scots transposed girn, gern; from Middle English grinnen, usually grennen, from Anglo-Saxon grennian, show the teeth, snarl, grin, = Middle High German grinnen, gnash the teeth, = Icelandic grenja, howl, bellow; cf. German grinsen, show the teeth, simper, grin, = Dutch grijnzen, grumble, grin; secondary verbs (with formatives -i (-j) and -s respectively), the primary appearing in Middle Low German grīnen = Old High German grīnan (strong verb), Middle High German grīnen, German greinen, grin, grimace, cry, weep, dial. grumble, growl, = Dutch grijnen, weep, cry, fret, grumble, = Swedish grina, make a wry face, grimace, = Danish grine, grin, simper. Cf. French dial. grigner = Provencal grinhar = Italian di-grignare, gnash the teeth, grin, of Old High German origin.
from grin, v.
Scots also green, grien; early modern English also grynne, grenne; from Middle English grin, gryn, grine, gryne, grene, greene (also grune, grone, grane (see also gnare)), from Anglo-Saxon grin, gryn, feminine, dial. (Ps.) also girn, giren, gyren, a snare. Connections unknown.

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