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Glite Dictionary
skin and grin

skin and grin

9.6
A friendly person who shows a big warm smile
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : sonrisa amplia
  • He walked into the room with a skin and grin that lifted everyone's spirits.

Examples

  • Whenever she feels nervous, she hides it behind a skin and grin.

  • His skin and grin made the party more enjoyable.

  • Despite the bad news, he managed to keep up his skin and grin.

  • She greeted everyone with a big skin and grin.

  • He walked into the room with a skin and grin that brightened everyone's day.

  • Despite the challenges, she always puts on a cheerful skin and grin at work.

  • When meeting new people, he approaches them with a friendly skin and grin.

Synonyms

smile
vsskin and grin
∞ 1.0

A facial expression with the mouth corners turned up to show happiness or friendliness

specifies a broader welcoming attitude often paired with a large expression
grin
vsskin and grin
139 1.0

A broad smile showing the teeth when someone is happy or amused

focuses on the whole inviting manner more than just the mouth gesture
big smile
vsskin and grin
47 1.0

A wide friendly movement of the mouth that shows happiness

is a general welcoming demeanour often conveyed by such wide expression
grinning
vsskin and grin
5 1.0

A wide smile that shows someone is happy or enjoying something

is about the general welcoming manner rather than only mouth movement
warm smile
vsskin and grin
4 1.0

A friendly expression on the face that shows real kindness

is a welcoming overall manner often shown by a broad mouth expression
warm personality
vsskin and grin
1 2.7

A friendly, kind way of behaving that makes people feel comfortable

is a specific welcoming look often shown by a broad mouth expression
twinkly-eyed smile
vsskin and grin
5.6

A warm happy expression with bright lively eyes

is broader, covering general welcoming manner not just lively eyes
merry smile
vsskin and grin
1.1

A happy look on someone's face that shows joy

leans more toward an overall friendly demeanor rather than just cheer
mahoosive grin
vsskin and grin
  • Slang
8.9

A very large, wide smile that shows great happiness

is a gentler, steady welcoming manner rather than an extreme reaction
effulgent smile
vsskin and grin
  • Literature
8.7

A very bright smile that shows great happiness

is a calmer friendly demeanor rather than an intensely radiant expression
priceless smile
vsskin and grin
3.6

A smile that shows great joy and means a lot to someone

is a routine welcoming manner often shown by a noticeable mouth expression
cheerful personality
vsskin and grin
2.3

A friendly, happy way of acting that makes others feel better

is a specific inviting look often shown as a broad mouth expression
breezy attitude
vsskin and grin
4.6

A relaxed, cheerful way of behaving that shows little worry

is more intentionally welcoming and noticeably expressed through a mouth gesture

Antonyms

frown
54 1.0

A facial expression with the eyebrows pushed together showing dislike or worry

gloomy
29 2.5

Feeling sad and without much hope

How Cheerful

to beam
38 2.0
skin and grin
  • Informal
9.6
grin
139 1.0
warm smile
4 1.0
smile
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

skin and grin singular
skin and grins plural

Morphology

skin + and + grin

The meaning 'cheerful or welcoming demeanor' cannot be straightforwardly derived from the literal constituents: 'grin' aligns with smiling but 'skin' (body covering) has no obvious contribution to that sense, so the combined phrase is not compositionally predictable. A B1 learner who knows the parts would not reliably infer this idiomatic usage, so it should be treated as opaque.

Etymology

The noun skin and grin may come from the image of someone showing their face (skin) and a wide smile (grin) to greet people. So it means 'a cheerful, welcoming look' that often hides other feelings.