smirk

smirk at (someone or something)

1. Literally, to smile at someone or something in a smug, scornful, or condescending manner. Sarah just smirked at me when I invited her to my party. My dad sat on the porch smirking at me as I made a hash of repairing the engine by myself.
2. By extension, to regard someone or something with smugness, scorn, condescension, etc. I feel like the rest of the world smirks at us because of our outdated, backwards laws. I used to smirk at the idea of working in a cubicle for eight hours a day, but once I had kids and needed steady income, it stopped sounding so unappealing.
See also: smirk
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

smirk at someone or something

to smile in a smug or sneering way at someone or something. Why are you smirking at me like that? Jane looked at the report and smirked at it.
See also: smirk
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • smirk at
  • smirk at (someone or something)
  • sneer
  • sneer at
  • sneer at (someone or something)
  • mansplain
  • set (one) down as (something)
  • set down
  • set down as
  • bridle
References in periodicals archive
Look behind the playful smirks at the horrifying reality, writes Lesley Riddoch.
The gymnasts who have qualified are Chloe Gray (12), Kody Langley(13), Smirk (12), William Nicholson (13), Grace Brown (13), Brooke Kincaid (10), Maddie Burrows (10), Paris Wells (8), Lucy McKenna (12), Ky Moore (13), Alex Brown (12), Isaac Dodd (9), Eleanor Walmsley(13) and Rebekah Davies (13).
Large downward movements in the market make the "puts" more likely to finish ITM than the "calls"and results in steeper volatility smirk. Pan (2002) reports that investors tend to choose OTM puts to express their concerns about possible future negative jumps, thus making OTM puts more expensive.
we're all heart, you find what tick, makes and feel I think we're all young at heart, you just have to find what makes you tick, makes you smirk, and feel like a kid again.
The irony of Holden and Cowell judging people with far more talent than they have themselves (and I'm including Rocky the owl and violinplaying Michael rolling turned pound smirk Douglas lookalike Peter Panduranga in this category) continues to go right over their heads.
Summary: Loyalist leader Mark Haddock "smirked" as he dispatched a hit team to gun down his paramilitary rival, a court has heard.
When Desert Deer straightened for home some five lengths clear he was never going to be caught, and he passed the post two and a half lengths clear of Smirk, who was arguably lucky to beat Reel Buddy for second.
Smirk, owned by Michael Tabor, had to survive a stewards inquiry into possible interference approaching the furlong-marker involving third-placed Surprise Encounter and sixth Omaha City.
The theatrical temperament of the dances included the melancholic, amorous skittishness, rapture, the royal smirk, and buffoonery.
The former mobile disc jockey gave a trademark smirk as he was sentenced to life behind bars for raping a 15-year-old girl.
Ref: 13/3158/FUL Address: Hinds Cottages, Nos 1 & 2 Smirk Yard, High Street, Norton TS20 1DN Proposal: Full refurbishment, part demolition and single storey extensions to the rear of Hinds Cottages, Nos 1 & 2 Smirk Yard.
She said: "He admitted it with a big smirk on his face.
I deployed my most infuriating smirk just the other day with the intention of annoying the hell out of a woman in a supermarket queue.
A total of 26 horses have been allotted more weight than Adiemus on Saturday, and only two of those - top weight Smirk and the David Nicholls-trained Jabaar - were yesterday considered likely non-runners by their connections.
''Imagine,'' said one prominent member, ''the frustration which David Trimble would have to go through if he wasn't allowed a quick smirk after cobbling together enough votes to defeat Jeffrey Donaldson yet again."