to beam
- verb
- /biːm/
- Suddenly, 11 pairs of eyes are beaming sweet messages at me.
- beam a smile
Her sisters beamed, beckoning her to join, and Nesta smiled back, her steps light as she hurried down the hill to meet them.
- Her sisters beamed, beckoning her to join, and Nesta smiled back, her steps light as she hurried down the hill to meet them.
Examples
-
Mom and Dad have gotta be looking down beaming with pride right about now.
-
And their sweet children will be present, beaming at the joy of their blessed parents.
Blog text (8) -
Look at your beaming face.
-
Why, Henry, you have such a beaming smile on your face.
-
I'm just beaming with pride.
-
Instead, Parkinson welcomed a beaming man filled with hope.
Academic text (2007) -
I've got a smile from ear to ear that is beaming sunshine all over the place.
Blog text (18) -
Steven was back, dripping wet, at two o'clock, and beaming at his victory.
Fiction book (1991) -
Linsey's cheeks were round and rosy with cold, but she beamed with goodwill.
Academic text (2007) -
"It's my day off," she beams, "and I'm going to the beach for some sport."
Synonyms
To turn the corners of your mouth up to show happiness or friendliness
Smile broadly, often showing the teeth when you feel happy, amused, or embarrassed
To have warm, healthy cheeks that show happiness
To look healthy, happy, or full of color in the face
Smiling very widely and looking clearly happy
Antonyms
Idioms
Wide from side to side, like a boat that is very stable or a person with wide hips
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- Specialized
A very narrow, bright light in one color that can cut or point at things
- Specialized
A narrow, focused stream of tiny particles like electrons used in science and medicine
- Specialized
A long metal piece shaped like the letter I that supports buildings and bridges
- Specialized
A focused stream of tiny charged particles used to make images in special microscopes
- Specialized
A balance with a long bar that turns and uses a sliding weight to measure how heavy something is
- Specialized
A strong piece of wood or metal that holds the weight of parts of a building
- Archaic
Ends of the support pieces that run across a ship's deck when it leans nearly vertical
- Specialized
A long hollow structure made from boards with a rectangular shape that supports parts of a building
A bright car light that shines straight ahead and should only be used when no other cars are near
A very bright car light that can blind other drivers and is used when no cars are nearby
A strong front light on a car used when no other cars come because it can blind drivers
A headlight setting that lights the road without blinding other drivers
A bright car light that shines far and should be used only when no other cars are ahead
- Specialized
A narrow stream of tiny charged particles used to change material surfaces
- Specialized
A narrow radio signal that helps pilots find the runway in poor visibility
A light on a car that makes a low beam to light the road without hurting other drivers' eyes
- Specialized
A beam that sits below a crane hook to spread weight when lifting heavy objects
How Happy
Surface Forms
Etymology
Beam meaning to smile widely comes from the image of 'shining' with happiness, like your face gives out light. That's why to beam is to look bright and very happy.