adjective Uncommon

smiley

SMEYE-lee

Smiley (adjective) means Cheerful and often smiling. Example: “She's always smiley, even on Monday mornings.”

adjective

Cheerful and often smiling.

"She's always smiley, even on Monday mornings."

noun

A simple drawing or symbol representing a smiling face, such as :) .

"He ended the text with a smiley."

How to use smiley

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCheerful-looking, or a simple smiling-face symbol used in text.

Common pairings

smiley face a smiley emoji

smilier comparative, smileys plural, smilies plural, Smileys plural, Smileys plural, smiliest superlative

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She's always _____, even on Monday mornings.

From smile plus the adjective-forming suffix -y; the noun sense grew out of "smiley face."

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What does “smiley” mean?

The word “smiley” means cheerful and often smiling. In plain terms, cheerful-looking, or a simple smiling-face symbol used in text.

How do you pronounce “smiley”?

“Smiley” is pronounced SMEYE-lee (/ˈsmaɪli/ in IPA).

How do you use “smiley” in a sentence?

Here is “smiley” used in a sentence: “She's always smiley, even on Monday mornings.”

What part of speech is “smiley”?

Depending on how it is used, “smiley” can be an adjective and a noun.

Is “smiley” a common word?

“Smiley” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “smiley” have?

“Smiley” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: cheerful and often smiling.