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Glite Dictionary
spacy smile

spacy smile

8.6
A smile that shows someone is lost in thought
  • noun
  • /ˈspeɪsi smaɪl/
  • Informal
translation icon : sonrisa despistada
  • She had a spacy smile on her face throughout the meeting, barely paying attention.

Examples

  • I noticed the spacy smile and realized she was daydreaming again.

  • She had a spacy smile while staring out the window.

  • His spacy smile made it clear he was lost in thought.

  • His spacy smile during the meeting made everyone wonder what he was thinking.

  • His spacy smile indicated that he was deep in thought, completely unaware of his surroundings.

  • I recognized her spacy smile as a sign that she was lost in her own imagination once again.

  • Throughout the lecture, his spacy smile suggested that he was distracted and not really listening.

Synonyms

dappy grin
vsspacy smile
  • UK
9.5

A silly smile that makes someone look foolish

is a blank, vacant expression showing distraction or daydreaming

Antonyms

alertness
14 2.9

A state of being watchful and ready to notice and act on danger or problems

How Vacant

spacy smile
  • Informal
8.6
smile
∞ 1.0
warm smile
4 1.0

Surface Forms

spacy smile singular
spacy smiles plural

Morphology

spacy + smile

The meaning 'a vacant or absent-minded facial expression' is directly and compositionally derived from 'spacy' (dazed/inattentive) modifying 'smile' (a facial expression). This adjective+noun combination follows a common, transparent pattern so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Spacy smile may come from the picture of a person smiling while staring into empty space; spacy suggests their mind is far away and smile is what you see on their face. So, it means a 'blank' or 'daydreaming' look.