SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
simper
verb
To smile in an affected, coy, or foolish manner.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Smile affectedly
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSimper usually criticizes coyness or affected simplicity. Smirk stresses smugness or mockery; grin and beam do not necessarily imply affectation.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See simper in use
The comic character would simper whenever a wealthy visitor entered.
The apprentice was meant to simper when pretending to be charming, producing a coy, affected smile that the audience could recognize as artificial.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license