What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Reek vs Smile - What's the difference?

reek | smile |

As nouns the difference between reek and smile

is that reek is a strong unpleasant smell or reek can be (ireland) a hill; a mountain while smile is a facial expression comprised by flexing the muscles of both ends of one's mouth, often showing the front teeth, without vocalisation, and in humans is a common involuntary or voluntary expression of happiness, pleasure, amusement or anxiety.

As verbs the difference between reek and smile

is that reek is (archaic|intransitive) to be emitted or exhaled, emanate, as of vapour or perfume while smile is (ambitransitive) to have (a smile) on one's face.

reek

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) rek, ‘smoke, fog’, Albanian regj ‘to tan’).Vladimir Orel, A Handbook of Germanic Etymology , s.vv. “*raukiz”, “*reukanan”(Leiden: Brill, 2003), 299:303.

Noun

(-)
  • A strong unpleasant smell.
  • Vapor; steam; smoke; fume.
  • * Shakespeare
  • As hateful to me as the reek of a limekiln.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) reken ‘to smoke’, from (etyl) . See above.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (archaic) To be emitted or exhaled, emanate, as of vapour or perfume.
  • To have or give off a strong, unpleasant smell.
  • You reek of perfume.
    Your fridge reeks of egg.
  • (figuratively) To be evidently associated with something unpleasant.
  • The boss appointing his nephew as a director reeks of nepotism.

    Etymology 3

    Probably a transferred use (after Irish cruach stack (of corn), pile, mountain, hill) of a variant of rick (with which it is cognate).

    Noun

    (s)
  • (Ireland) A hill; a mountain.
  • References

    * * * * * Notes:

    Anagrams

    * ----

    smile

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A facial expression comprised by flexing the muscles of both ends of one's mouth, often showing the front teeth, without vocalisation, and in humans is a common involuntary or voluntary expression of happiness, pleasure, amusement or anxiety.
  • :
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady.
  • *
  • *:Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile? ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * archaic smile * besmile * Chelsea smile * Glasgow smile * smileless * smilet * smiley * vertical smile

    Verb

    (smil)
  • (ambitransitive) To have (a smile) on one's face.
  • * , chapter=7
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.}}
  • To express by smiling.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.}}
  • To express amusement, pleasure, or love and kindness.
  • * Byron
  • When last I saw thy young blue eyes, they smiled .
  • To look cheerful and joyous; to have an appearance suited to excite joy.
  • The sun smiled down from a clear summer sky.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • The desert smiled , / And paradise was opened in the wild.
  • To be propitious or favourable; to countenance.
  • The gods smiled on his labours.

    Derived terms

    * smiler

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----