grin (redirected from grins)

grin and bear it

Fig. to endure something unpleasant in good humor. There is nothing you can do but grin and bear it. I hate having to work for rude people. I guess I have to grin and bear it.

See also: and, bear

grin at someone or something 

1. to smile a beaming smile at someone or something. The entire class grinned at the camera. I grinned at her and she turned away quickly. 2. to smile a beaming smile at the thought of, or mental picture of, someone or something. He grinned at the thought of his coming home to his family. He grinned at her as she gazed upon the diamond ring he had given her.

grin from ear to ear

Fig. to smile a very wide, beaming smile. She was grinning from ear to ear as she accepted the prize. We knew Timmy was happy because he was grinning from ear to ear.

See also: ear

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a grin like a Cheshire cat

a very wide smile

Usage notes: The Cheshire cat is a character in Lewis Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland and is famous for its big smile.

I just presumed he'd got the job because he walked in here with a grin like a Cheshire cat.

See also: cat, Cheshire, like

a shit-eating grin  (American taboo)

a look of extreme satisfaction on someone's face that is annoying to other people who are less happy Ever since she heard they'd won she's been sitting there with that shit-eating grin on her face.

grin and bear it

to accept an unpleasant or difficult situation because there is nothing you can do to improve it I don't want to spend the whole weekend working but I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it.

See grin from ear to ear

See also: and, bear

grin/smile from ear to ear

to look extremely happy (usually in continuous tenses) We've had a fantastic response,' he said, grinning from ear to ear.

See also: ear

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grin and bear it

to accept something unpleasant with good humor Bad things happen and you just have to learn to grin and bear it.

See also: and, bear

grin from ear to ear also smile from ear to ear

to give a very big smile He was grinning from ear to ear, as if he had just won the lottery.

See also: ear