MEANING
To smile in a way that suggests smugness, superiority, or sly amusement.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- smirk at a mistake
- smug smirk
On the page
He smirked when the rival team's figures were challenged.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- smirk
- Past tense
- smirked
- Past participle
- smirked
- Present participle
- smirking
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- smirk
- Present continuous
- am/is/are smirking
- Present perfect
- have/has smirked
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been smirking
- Past
- smirked
- Past continuous
- was/were smirking
- Past perfect
- had smirked
- Past perfect continuous
- had been smirking
- Future
- will smirk
- Future continuous
- will be smirking
- Future perfect
- will have smirked
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been smirking
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: smirk; smirks; smirked; smirked; smirking Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: smirks.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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