[Vocabulary] crack a smile/smile

[hhtt21]

I sometimes encounter the phrase "crack a smile", or "she cracked a mischievous smile" etc. What is the difference between "crack a smile" and simply "smile"?

Some of the sources I have checked give them as the same.

But are there situation when one is proper, one is not? Are implications or connotation different?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crack a smile

Some of the sources I have checked give "crack a smile" as "slightly smile".

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/tr/sözlük/ingilizce/crack-a-smile

Thank you.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I sometimes encounter the phrase "crack a smile", or "she cracked a mischievous smile" etc. What is the difference between "crack a smile" and simply "smile"?

Some of the sources I have checked give them [STRIKE]as[/STRIKE] the same meaning.

They do mean the same thing. Saying crack is more colorful.

But are there situation when one is proper, one is not? Are implications or connotation different?

Saying crack is less formal.

Some of the sources I have checked give "crack a smile" as "slightly smile".

I don't agree with that. You can crack a big, bright, sunny smile.

Thank you.

You're welcome!

 

[BobisMe]

Reading your question, it conjures up in my mind a slight difference. A person who "cracks a smile", had had either a neutral or somewhat hostile expression on their face. It's as if the smile "cracks" their stone face. Something has changed their attitude to one of humor. The term "crack" signals a change. A person who smiles may have also had a glint of humor in their eyes before smiling.

Comics competing in a contest to try to make another person smile who is trying not to smile, would say that success was causing the other person to crack a smile.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I suppose, though if someone smiles, you can assume the person wasn't smiling before smiling. Otherwise the person would already be smiling, and we'd say "was smiling" rather than "smiled."

But the image of a stony face cracking is a good one and worth keeping in mind.