顔(かお)をほころばせる

かおをほころばせる
expression
to beam with a smile
formalwrittenliteraryemotion
1. to beam with a smile; to break into a smile; to light up with joy
To let one's face relax into a warm, happy smile. The expression ほころばせる literally means 'to cause to come undone' or 'to loosen,' evoking the image of a face softening from a neutral or tense expression into a joyful one, like a flower bud opening.
彼女(かのじょ)は顔(かお)をほころばせた。
She broke into a smile.
プレゼントを見(み)て、子供(こども)は顔(かお)をほころばせた。
The child beamed when they saw the present.
久(ひさ)しぶりに孫(まご)に会(あ)えて、祖母(そぼ)は顔(かお)をほころばせた。
Seeing her grandchild for the first time in a while, the grandmother beamed with joy.

A literary and expressive way to describe someone's face breaking into a warm, genuine smile. The verb ほころばせる comes from ほころぶ (to come apart at the seams; to begin to bloom), giving the expression a poetic quality — like a flower opening. More descriptive and literary than simply 笑(わら)う (to laugh/smile).

Common patterns

  • 顔(かお)をほころばせる: to beam (standard form)
  • 顔(かお)がほころぶ: one's face breaks into a smile (intransitive variant)
  • 思(おも)わず顔(かお)をほころばせる: to involuntarily break into a smile

Similar words

  • 笑顔(えがお)になる: to smile — straightforward and conversational
  • にっこりする: to grin, to smile warmly — focuses on the cheerful quality of the smile
  • 相好(そうごう)を崩(くず)す: to break into a broad smile — another literary expression; implies losing one's composure from happiness
general
Added 2026.4.2 1:14 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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