grin and smile

I usually find this word in an English novel, "grin". Are "grin" and "smile" different?

According to cambridge dictionary, grin is "a wide smile". I think, without a visualization, it is difficult to differentiate grin with smile.

Thanks.

Well, that's what a grin is... It's just a big (or wide) smile. However, grin can have a negative connotation. It's sometimes used in place of "smirk," which is an offensive smile.

I have just found a website that writes about a person who is sitting with "a big grin" on his face. While grin is a wide smile, then "big grin" means much wider smile...:-). I think this person almost laugh, because big grin means he opens his mouth so wide...

Soni,

You can find a picture illustration between someone who has a smile on his face and someone who has a grin if you try to use a forum which provides you smileys to quote. Let me check if I find one.


http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZNxdm917&spu=true


- That icon at the top which is showing its teeth, that's a grin.
- for a smile, take a look at a chat window screen (on the right corner at the top)

As I see it, there is some difference in connotation between "smile" and "grin" as well. A smile is always supposed to be a positive thing, but a grin is often ambiguous. You can have a "warm smile" on your face, but ever heard of a "warm grin"??? A grin can be "broad", but depending on the context even this can be either positive or negative.