# smiling

/ˈsmaɪɫɪŋ/ (US) · /smˈaɪlɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/smiling
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. having a smile

adjective · CEFR A1

describing someone who has a happy expression on their face.

For teachers: characterised by a smile; used to describe a person's appearance or facial expression.

- The smiling children ran toward the ice cream truck.
- The photograph captured a smiling crowd, their faces illuminated by the warm glow of the setting sun during the festival.

### 2. the act of a smile

noun · CEFR B1

the action of making a smile.

For teachers: the act or instance of expressing pleasure or amusement through a facial expression.

- Smiling is a great way to show people that you are friendly.
- The therapist noted that the patient's frequent smiling seemed to be a defensive mechanism rather than a genuine expression of joy.

## Examples

- Smiling is a great way to make new friends.
- The photographer noticed that natural smiling looks much better in portraits than a forced expression.
- Research suggests that the physical act of smiling can actually trigger a release of dopamine, effectively improving the subject's mood through a biological feedback loop.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.