English Reference
Idiom idiom

smile from ear to ear


A large smile.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

She smiled from ear to ear when she saw the gift.

CONTEXTUAL

After hearing the good news about her promotion, she walked out of the office smiling from ear to ear.

COMPLEX

Upon receiving the unexpected letter of acceptance from the university, the young student beamed, smiling from ear to ear with a sense of profound relief.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all ears

    Listening intently; fully focused.

  2. 02

    all eyes and ears

    Very attentive.

  3. 03

    are your ears burning

    Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.

  4. 04

    beat someone round the ears

    To beat (a person) with blows about the head.

  5. 05

    believe one's ears

    To believe that something which one hears is truly the case.

  6. 06

    bend someone's ear

    To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.

  7. 07

    box someone's ears

    To slap someone on the side of the head, usually as an informal punishment.

  8. 08

    burn someone's ears

    To cause blushing of someone's ears due to strong embarrassment.

Last updated August 10, 2026