fangful grin
- noun
:
sonrisa dentada
- She greeted him with a fangful grin that sent chills down his spine.
Examples
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The villain's fangful grin hinted at his cruel intentions.
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The wolf bared its teeth in a fangful grin before attacking.
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The wolf showed a fangful grin as it approached.
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Did you see that fangful grin on the villain's face?
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The villain's fangful grin hinted at his cruel intentions.
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She greeted him with a fangful grin that sent chills down his spine.
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The wolf bared its teeth in a fangful grin before attacking.
How Menacing
Surface Forms
Morphology
fangful + grin
Although 'fangful' is rare and not listed in dictionaries, it is transparently built from 'fang' + the productive suffix '-ful' meaning 'full of' plus 'grin' (a smile). A B1 learner who knows 'fang', the suffix '-ful' (as in joyful), and 'grin' can infer 'a grin showing fangs' and the associated menacing nuance, so the expression is compositional and immediately understandable.
Etymology
Fangful grin may come from the image of someone smiling while showing long, sharp fangs, like a wolf or a vampire, so the smile looks ready to bite. That's why a fangful grin feels 'threatening' or dangerous.