smile (up)on (someone or something)
To express, bestow, or look with favor or approval on someone or something. Usually (though not always) used in reference to figurative concepts such as fate, fortune, luck, etc. I hear that Jenny just won some major award, so soon after her huge promotion. It seems that fortune smiles on her at the moment! May luck smile upon our voyage. The boss made it clear that she smiles on individual initiative, so I decided to be brave and submit an application for a project I wanted to lead.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
smile (up)on someone or something
to bestow approval on someone or something. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) Fate has smiled upon me at last! I wish good luck would smile on me.
smile on someone or something
to be favorable to someone or something. Fate smiled on me and I got the job. Lady luck smiled on our venture and we made a profit.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
smile on
Look with favor or approval on, as in The current administration smiles on anyone who gives it helpful publicity. [c. 1400]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
smile on
v. To regard someone or something with favor or approval: Good fortune smiled on our efforts, and our plan succeeded.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.