Smiles
Describe the shape, then notice whether the rest of the face agrees.
01Appearance
crooked · lopsided · faint · wide · tight · toothy · gap-toothed · closed-lipped · dimpled · thin · slow-spreading · trembling · blinding · easy · one-sided
Small physical details
one corner higher than the other · teeth barely showing · lips pressed together around it · dimples appearing suddenly · a smile that spreads slowly rather than arriving all at once
02Emotion
knowing · wistful · smug · relieved · genuine · guarded · wicked · rueful · tender · bashful · playful · bittersweet · triumphant · indulgent · mischievous
03Instead of “they smiled”
Their mouth curved. · One corner of their mouth lifted. · A grin broke across their face. · Their whole face lit up. · The corners of their eyes crinkled. · Their expression softened. · A smile tugged at their lips. · They flashed a quick, white smile. · Warmth crept into their face. · Their lips twitched.
04Restrained smiles
bit the inside of their cheek to keep from grinning · pressed their lips together to hold it back · looked down so the smile wouldn't show · smothered a grin behind a hand · a smile threatened at the corners of their mouth · the smile arrived in the eyes first and never reached the mouth
05False or polite smiles
a smile that stopped at the lips · a customer-service smile, bright and empty · teeth shown but nothing behind them · a smile held a beat too long · stretched their mouth into something that passed for a smile · smiled because everyone expected them to · a smile that looked painted on
Small tells
drops the instant the other person turns away · arrives too quickly · stays fixed while the conversation changes · mouth smiles while the rest of the face remains still
06Smiles that don't match the emotion
smiled through the pain · smiled to keep from crying · a brittle smile over fury · smiled while their eyes stayed cold · a rueful smile at their own bad luck · smiled the way people do at funerals
Other contradictions
smiles when frightened · grins at the worst possible moment · smiles because anger would reveal too much · laughs softly while delivering bad news
07Smile + eyes
eyes crinkled at the corners · eyes stayed flat · eyes sparkled · eyes slid away mid-smile · a flicker of warmth in the gaze
Matching
mouth softens and eyes brighten · cheeks lift beneath the eyes · gaze stays steady as the smile grows
Mismatching
mouth smiles while eyes remain cold · smile disappears from the eyes first · gaze drops as the mouth keeps smiling
08Beginning, changing & fading
Beginning
a smile starts at one corner · lips twitch before giving in · expression breaks slowly · amusement appears before the grin does
Growing
the smile spreads · teeth begin to show · cheeks lift · laughter starts underneath it
Fading
the smile falters · drops away · freezes · thins · disappears one piece at a time · stays on the mouth after the eyes have changed
09Subtle smiles
a barely there upturn · a twitch at one corner · a softened jaw · the smile visible only in their voice · warmth appearing around the eyes · lips pressed together against obvious amusement
Tiny tells
looks down before it can fully form · one cheek lifts · a dimple appears and vanishes · the mouth softens without quite becoming a smile
10Examples in a sentence
Appearance
“His smile was crooked, pulling harder at the left side of his mouth.”
Emotion
“A slow, knowing smile spread across her face.”
Restrained
“She pressed her lips together, but the smile kept escaping at the corners.”
False
“He gave her a bright smile that never reached his eyes.”
Mismatched
“She smiled through the sentence, though her eyes had already filled.”
Eyes
“The smile reached his eyes first, crinkling them before his mouth caught up.”
Fading
“Her smile faltered, then vanished altogether.”
Subtle
“One corner of his mouth twitched.”
Minimal
“She smiled, small and tired.”
11Writing notes
- You can still use “smiled.” A familiar verb becomes invisible when it is doing its job. Variation should add meaning, not exist only to avoid repetition.
- Describe what changes. Mouth, cheeks, eyes, jaw, and posture can all participate in a smile.
- Let smiles contradict emotion. People smile when nervous, angry, grieving, embarrassed, frightened, or trying to reassure someone.
- Use restraint. A smile being suppressed can carry more tension than a full grin.
- Watch familiar clichés. “A smile that didn't reach the eyes” is useful but common, so combine it with more specific behavior when possible.
- Don't make every attractive smile dazzling. Crooked, awkward, hesitant, private, tired, or badly timed smiles can be more memorable.
- Use the eyes carefully. Eyes can support or contradict the mouth, but not every genuine smile needs a full anatomical explanation.
- Let relationships change the smile. Someone may smile differently at a parent, rival, lover, stranger, child, or person they distrust.
- Notice disappearance. The moment a smile drops can be more revealing than the moment it appears.
- Don't describe every smile. Save detail for moments when the expression changes the scene, reveals subtext, or tells us something about the character.