name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
simper
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsɪmpə/
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Canada, General-American: /ˈsɪmpɚ/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɪmpə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: S IH1 M P ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, or affected smile; a smirk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To smile in a foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, coy, obsequious, or smug manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To glimmer; to twinkle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
a silly self-conscious smile
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: smile, smiling, grin, grinning
verb
Meaning 6
smile affectedly or derisively
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: smirk
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: smile
Narrower terms: fleer
History
Etymology
Variant of Semper.
Uncertain; compare (probably from) Danish simper / semper (“coy”), German zimper (“elegant, dainty”).
Across languages
Translations
11 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- French: minauderie — frivolous smile
- French: sourire affecté — frivolous smile
- Spanish: sonrisa afectada — frivolous smile
- Welsh: cilwen — frivolous smile
- Bulgarian: усмихвам се престорено (usmihvam se prestoreno) — To smile in a frivolous manner
- Chinese Mandarin: 傻笑 (shǎxiào) — To smile in a frivolous manner
- French: minauder — To smile in a frivolous manner
- German: verschmitzt lachen — To smile in a frivolous manner
- Norwegian: glis — To smile in a frivolous manner
- Spanish: sonreírse afectadamente — To smile in a frivolous manner
- Swedish: le tillgjort — To smile in a frivolous manner