Are you looking for some useful smile idioms?
If so, you are in the right place.
In this post, we are going to look at 25 Smile Idioms and how to use them to sound even more like a native English speaker.

25 Smile Idioms And Phrases (Meaning & Examples)
1. To Be All Smiles
- Meaning: used to describe a person that is visibly cheerful and happy.
- Use In A Sentence: Jack is all smiles today. That is quite the opposite of how he usually is on Mondays. He must have had a great weekend.
2. To Grin Like A Cheshire Cat
- Meaning: to smile mischievously as if you are up to something.
- Use In A Sentence: I knew Brian was up to something when I saw him grinning like a Cheshire cat as I walked into the office today.
3. To Smile/Grin/Beam From Ear To Ear
- Meaning: to have a big smile or to smile a lot because you are very happy about something.
- Use In A Sentence: It is Monday and Corey is smiling from ear to ear. That is unusual.
4. To Break Into A Smile
- Meaning: to start to smile.
- Use In A Sentence: Lily broke into a smile when he told her the good news. She was cancer free and couldn’t help but show it!
5. To Come Up Smiling
- Meaning: to come out of a difficult situation or problem with a positive outlook.
- Use In A Sentence: I was impressed by David’s reaction. Even though he had lost a lot of money, he came up smiling.
6. To Crack A Smile
- Meaning: to smile.
- Use In A Sentence: Ethan was upset, but we were able to get him to crack a smile. From then on, his anger started to let up.
7. To Flash (Someone) A Smile
- Meaning: to quickly smile at someone, usually unexpectedly.
- Use In A Sentence: Once he walked into the door, Jim flashed Pam a smile.
8. Fortune Smiles On Someone
- Meaning: used to describe when good things tend to happen to someone.
- Use In A Sentence: It seems like fortune has been smiling on Mark even since he quit his old job. He keeps getting these new opportunities he would not have had otherwise.
9. Keep Smiling
- Meaning: it is usually used to say goodbye to someone and encourage them to remain happy even though things are uncertain or difficult at the moment.
- Use In A Sentence: How’s the new job? It is difficult. I am having a hard time getting used to the new environment. Well, just keep smiling, I am sure things will get better.
10. Plastic Smile
- Meaning: a smile that is forced or when a person puts on a smile even though they are not happy.
- Use In A Sentence: I could see right through his plastic smile. He is not happy about the current situation.
11. To Put A Smile On One’s Face
- Meaning: to make a person smile or to make a person happy.
- Use In A Sentence: Nothing puts a smile on my face like spending time with my family. That may sound cliche but I don’t care. It is the truth.
12. To Raise A Smile
- Meaning: to make someone smile.
- Use In A Sentence: Joe thinks he is funny, but his jokes didn’t even raise a smile.
13. To Smile Upon Someone Or Something
- Meaning: to approve someone or something
- Use In A Sentence: The new boss smiles on anyone who comes to work early.
14. To Smile At
- Meaning: to smile at someone or to approve what they are doing.
- Use In A Sentence: Ashley smiled at me when I walked in the office. I knew that meant my proposal was accepted.
15. To Wear Nothing But A Smile
- Meaning: to be naked.
- Use In A Sentence: I was surprised to see him coming out of the building wearing nothing but a smile.
16. To Wipe A Smile Off One’s Face
- Meaning: to cause someone to stop smiling or to cause them not to be as happy.
- Use In A Sentence: He was having a great day, but the bad news at work wiped the smile right off his face. I felt so bad for him.
17. A Working Man’s Smile
- Meaning: the visible portion of a man’s butt cheeks.
- Use In A Sentence: I walked it and saw George working under the sink revealing a working man’s smile.
18. Fish-Eating Grin
- Meaning: an overly pleased smile that tends to irritate other people.
- Use In A Sentence: Megan has been walking around with that same fish-eating grin ever since she got that new promotion.
19. Pie-Eating Grin
- Meaning: an overly pleased smile that tends to irritate other people.
Use In A Sentence: Megan has been walking around with that same pie-eating grin ever since she got that new promotion.
20. To Grin And Bear it
- Meaning: to endure an unpleasant situation while remaining in a good mood.
- Use In A Sentence: I really hate my job, but sometimes you have to grin and bear it until something better comes along.
21. A Tin Smile
- Meaning: used to describe when a person with braces, smiles.
- Use In A Sentence: I could tell she was happy when I saw that tin smile. It made me feel so good.
22. A Person Was Beaming
- Meaning: used to describe when a person is extremely happy and thus has a big smile.
- Use In A Sentence: After Jessica told her husband that she was pregnant he was beaming.
23. A Big Fat Smile
- Meaning: a big silly smile.
- Use In A Sentence: He flashed a big fat smile as he was eating his favorite meal, a peanut butter sandwich.
24. To Force A Smile
- Meaning: to smile when a person doesn’t want to. A smile that is not genuine.
- Use In A Sentence: I could tell Jenny was forcing a smile. She was not in agreement with what the boss said.
25. To Cast A Smile
- Meaning: to grin in a certain direction.
- Use In A Sentence: John was in love with her the second he saw her cast a smile at him from across the room. She, on the otherhand, didn’t even notice he was there.
There you have it! 25 Smile Idioms. Which one is your favorite? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.