微笑(ほほえ)み

ほほえみ
noun
smile, gentle smile
1. smile, gentle smile
A soft, warm smile. Carries a gentler and more literary nuance than the everyday word 笑顔. Often used to describe serene, kind, or subtle facial expressions.
彼女(かのじょ)は優(やさ)しい微笑(ほほえ)みを浮(う)かべた。
She wore a gentle smile.
赤(あか)ちゃんの微笑(ほほえ)みに心(こころ)が和(なご)んだ。
The baby's smile warmed my heart.
仏像(ぶつぞう)の穏(おだ)やかな微笑(ほほえ)みは、見(み)る人(ひと)に安(やす)らぎを与(あた)える。
The serene smile on a Buddhist statue gives a sense of peace to those who see it.

USAGE:
A literary and elegant word for a gentle smile. Compared to 笑顔(えがお) (smiling face), 微笑(ほほえ)み emphasizes subtlety and warmth rather than open cheerfulness. The corresponding verb is 微笑(ほほえ)む (to smile gently).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 微笑(ほほえ)みを浮(う)かべる: to wear a smile
  • 微笑(ほほえ)みを向(む)ける: to direct a smile at someone
  • 穏(おだ)やかな微笑(ほほえ)み: a serene smile
  • 優(やさ)しい微笑(ほほえ)み: a gentle smile
general
Added 2026.2.21 22:26
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